The Berserker Complex
by Amvpuax
Summary: When an EVA goes berserk, It gradually creates a bond with it's pilot. What happens when the pilot's emotions are reflected by an EVA? M for my graphic mind and some mature imagery.
1. Chapter One, Delusion

Thanks to a nice amount of interest shown by the community, I decided, hell yeah, lets finish this thing. So here it is, Chapter One of 'The Berserker Complex'. Until I remember the specifics, assume the canon storyline up to Bardiel, the 13th angel, where this fic begins.

But first, a big thanks to J.R.G.H for picking up my mistake in 'Indifference'.

Enjoy

Delusion – 1

"Classify the target as the 13th Angel. Launch all units ready to intercept at Nobeyama" Genduo Ikari said.

"Sir, the 4th child is still inside the entry plug, we can't.." Makoto began, a hint of insolence in his tone. He knew his superior would just ignore his feeble remark, though knew the target was an Angel, and despite have a life at stake, it's better than billions of people suffering at the hands of one.

"Unit~3 is expendable, have all unit's stand by for ground combat" Genduo interrupted, as if what Makoto said was but a pause in his own speech.

"Sir!" Makoto responded, feeling like a pawn in such a pathetic game.

"Unit... the target is approaching!" Aoba exclaimed.

The black unit~3 slouched as it came over the rise, immediately turning towards Unit~02. It's jaw was wide open as a green liquid seeped form its mouth.

"Scheisse!" Asuka muttered, clutching her controls tightly

Unit~3 wailed as it braced itself for attack, falling forward onto all four limbs. It sprinted off towards Asuka, leaping forward as beasts do. Unit~02 started firing, equipped with a pellet~rifle in both arms, but to no avail.

"The AT field was supposed to be neutralized! Why won't it die!" Asuka yelled.

Before the command post was able to respond;

"It was. Unit~3 still has 12 thousand plates of fortified armor in it's defense" Rei replied, appearing on Asuka's display.

Why didn't she know. How could that pathetic doll know more than her. Asuka gritted her teeth. She wasn't going to be defeated. In spite of it's obvious failure, She kept firing until every round had been depleted. 'Better safe than sorry' Asuka thought.

Unit~02 rushed off towards the oncoming Angel, throwing the weaponry as it did. It deployed and retrieved it's progressive knife moments before the two EVAs collided. The Angel leaped up onto Unit~02, gripping it's throat and weapon~arm whilst holding itself in place with it's legs around the EVA's waist.

"Asuka!" Shinji cried as he willed Unit~01, running to her aid, unequipped at the time. Rei followed suit from the other adjacent side.

"Fich Abhauen! I don't need you! Asuka yelled, her neck still bound by the Angel's hand. Accepting his aid was not a loss she was not willing to take.

Unit~3 turned its head to face Unit~00, still an encumbrance upon Asuka. Without hesitation, it's arm went rigid, tightening its hold on Unit~02's weapon~arm. Asuka gasped in pain, as the Angel slowly crushed the limb in it's grasp. Blue blood trickled from the maimed arm, now bent to an inutile angle, though still holding the progressive knife. As soon as the prominent snap echoed, the Angel released the limp arm, throwing it's extended reach at Rei.

"The Angel's bio~mass has increased! It created more of itself from nothing!" Maya yelled in fear, though trying to be informative.

"An Evangelion with an S² Organ, a manifestation, not unlike God" Genduo said calmly, implying as if it should have been common knowledge and ignoring his own arrogance.

Maya turned back to the main screen. 'A God...'

The angels fist collided with Unit~00's head, then it unclench to hold the EVA, fully wrapping it fingers round.

"Rei's sync ratio is above 60%, she's in danger!" Maya yelled as she turned to Genduo, the only person capable of any guidance.

'Rei..'

"Cap the synchronization process of Unit~00 at 45%, order Rei to establish an AT field" Genduo said, standing up as he invoked his power.

The Angel groaned as a translucent liquid began seeping from the gaps in unit~3's gauntlet armor. It swept up and over Unit~00's face, veins showing as it slithered down it's neck. The unusual sight to Shinji meant ill intent, and he willed Unit~01, dashing past Asuka's EVA to Rei's side.

"The Angel is attempting to infect Unit~00! The pilot's mental stasis is severely damaged" Aoba yelled, his eyes still fixed on him monitor.

"Cut off the synchronization to Unit~00, and eject the entry plug immediately!" Genduo yelled back, angry his first order was rebuked.

Unit~00's entry plug shot out from it's back. Shinji noticed it path, and caught the cylinder, cautious not to crush the fragile object. With it's spare hand, Unit~01 drew its progressive knife, slashing at the angels extended limb. In a spurt of red blood, the arm went limp, reverting to its original length and severed from its body. The idea made Shinji think;

'An Angel? With red blood?' He thought for a minute while he was out of danger, and then it hit him. It's an EVA. There's a pilot inside. He couldn't kill another human being.

"Father! I can't fight that thing!" He screamed, a small part of him hoping his kin wouldn't respond.

"Eliminate the target or the 2nd child will fall victim to your disobedience" Genduo replied, smiling. Though it was not planned, using Asuka's life as a counter~balance for his son's obedience seemed infallible.

"No. I won't kill" Sounded in the command center as Unit~01 slouched, inactive.

A tear dropped from Asuka's bloodshot eye. 'He chose to save that emotionless doll over me. Am I nothing to him? Should I just die?' She thought as the hand around her neck felt tighter. Her father left her. Her mother abandoned her. And now Shinji. No one was here for her. No one loved her. 'I have no purpose. I've lost. I hate everything. I hate myself' Were the thoughts swirling in Asuka's mind as tears flowed freely, breaking her vow to never cry again.

Time passed, the Angel now toying with the motionless EVA. It released its hand around Unit~02's throat, leaving it to slump to the ground, falling on top of it. Not unlike before, the malicious liquid seeped out from the crevasses in unit~3's armor plating.

"Cut power to Unit~02 and stop the synchronization process. Eject the umbilical cables from Unit~01 and Unit~00. It will at least save the pilots" Genduo said, again seated atop the command center.

"Sir!" Sounded from all 3 technicians. The feeling of obeying him was eased as the commander's tone showed a little compassion, an ideal new to them from Genduo.

The sound of her EVA powering down took Asuka to her limit. 'They too have given up on me. I am nothing' She thought, releasing her controls, and falling limp inside her entry plug.

"Unit~02 is rejecting the process, were going to have to wait till it's internal batteries are depleted" Aoba said, as optimistic as one could be in their situation.

The Angel lifted it's head, taking in it's surroundings before averting it's gaze back to Unit~02. Though it posed no threat, unit~3 began to tear off the EVA's armor, and exposing the tyrant beneath it's flesh. The white liquid began to rush from the Angel faster, covering Unit~02's torso, veins showing all over. Asuka felt her chest ache, showing the sync process was still intact.

"No" rung throughout her entry plug. "You cannot die. You must live"

Asuka looked around her, the voice familiar. A massive smile appeared on her face and her eye's widened.

"Moma!" Asuka cried out. "You're here, you were always here!"

The four eyes upon Unit~02's face gleamed as it's jaw dropped. The Angel reacted immediately, now seeing a threat withing it's once inactive adversary. It began thrashing wildly at the EVA's exposed chest, only to strike an orange shield as the infectious liquid instantly dissipated.

"Unit~02 still has power... it's going berserk!" Makoto exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stared at the data on his monitor. "Sync ratio is at 290%!"

Makoto turned to stare.

"Impossible, the synchronization capabilities were ceased!" He replied, surprised as much as his colleague.

"Sir! What's going on?" Maya said, facing her commander.

Ignoring her question, Genduo stood up, and turned to exit the room.

"Take care of this will you" He ordered, as much a statement as a question.

"Yes commander" Fuyutsuki replied, composed despite the situation as usual.

The entire command post watched the main screen.

Unit~02 kicked forward, throwing the Angel off itself and flying into the landscape. God~speed took the EVA above the stumbling Angel in an instant. Letting out a tremendous roar, Unit~02 threw its uninjured hand at the Angel. Though, contrary to its usual combat tactics, instead of ripping apart flesh, dark orange octagons began to pulse from the EVA.

"Unit~02 is using it's AT field offensively" Fuyutsuki said to the room, not wanting any mindless questions from the technicians.

The Angel cried out in agony, struggling under the EVA as the AT field's edges began to cut into it's torso. As the red blood spurted, a portion splashed from it's inner organs onto Unit~02's feeble arm. The Angel's ability to create mass became active once again as the damage to the EVA's useless limb became non~existent. As if it was planned, Unit~02 immediately tightened it's grip on its progressive knight and began to slice aimlessly at the Angel's exposed organs. Blood and inner gore covered Unit~02 and much of the landscape. The water in the nearby waterways were flooded by flailing organs and blood was spattered throughout the city.

"The 9th designated shelter has been flooded with blood! They are drowning!" Came from a lower portion of the command center

"Let the JSSDF recovery teams take care of that" Fuyutsuki replied, raising his voice making sure the statement carried down to whoever brought up the topic.

It wasn't long before the Angel was nothing but a pile of gore and exposed spine, with nothing left but human like organs and bone covering the mountain side to which the assault took place. A massive cross~shaped explosion marked the angels end, but Unit~02 didn't cease movement. Instead, the red giant stood up, dropping the progressive knife, and made its way towards the inactive Unit~01.

"What's Unit~02 doing?" Maya asked, turning to Aoba, knowing he question remained unanswered if directed towards those above her.

"I am as clueless as you are, Ibuki" Came his reply, delayed because of his complete focus on the main screen.

Shinji waited inside his entry plug, a blank look upon his face. Though he looked calm, his mind raced. Was Rei alright? Is Asuka OK? What happened to the Angel? All these thoughts were familiar to him, despite his want to never have to ask himself them again. His mind replayed what his last words before deactivation were. Did he mean them? What had he done by following though with them.

"No!" He screamed, finally realizing what he had left Asuka to deal with.

'I abandoned her. I'm a coward, I'm hopeless, useless' He said to himself. It was true this time, not just a chaotic mindset. He had forsaken her, the already fragile girl. Shinji turned, leaning over a grabbing the self destruct control. He waited, figuring it took time. A moment later, he realized there was no power to initiate his suicide. 'Figures' He thought.

Unit~02 stood above the crouching Unit~01. For only a moment it stared at the inactive EVA, before a roar was emitted from the still berserk unit. Before the sound was gone, the EVA lifted it's massive foot, and brought it crashing down on Unit~01's neck, breaking it instantly. It's roar ceased as it seemed to take in the sound of another spine cracking. Content, Unit~02 deactivated.

The EVA's behavior stunned even Fuyutsuki. This action was not even expected from a rampant Angel, let alone a piloted weapon such as Asuka's beloved EVA.

He seized charge;

"Have we heard from Ritsuko Akagi?" Fuyutsuki said to the room.

After the moment had sunk in, a technician, phone still in hand turned to their second in command.

"Yes, Sir. Herself and Major Katsuragi are on their way to the command center as we speak" The woman said.

"Good, have them notified of the results of the encounter as soon as possible" He replied, turning to leave the room as commander had done.

The rest of the room sat quietly, all still amazed at what had appeared to them on the main screen. As Aoba stood up, he turned to Makoto.

"Have a recovery team retrieve what's left of the EVA's" He said slowly, still showing signs of disbelief.

Despite their equal ranks, Makoto picked up a phone and made the call, before following suit and exiting the room.

"So you are saying after going berserk, and silencing the Angel, Unit~02 proceeded to return and break Unit~01's spine, even though it was inactive?" Ritsuko said, taking in the last deep breath of her cigarette before the filter began to burn.

"Correct. Have you any idea why the EVA would act out like that?" Maya said, seemingly being the only one interested in Ritsuko's explanations.

Genduo and Fuyutsuki were already informed, and the useless questions were beginning to get on the commander's nerves. Akagi filtered through some papers before returning her eyes to her computer screen. She looked up, and removed her glasses.

"I found some documents from over 10 years ago. It's a direct translation from German, so I assume its from Gehirn's 3rd Branch in Germany. Though a little unclear, it states that when two embodied souls interact directly, genetic material can be transferred between the two host bodies" Ritsuko began. "It also begins to say this sort of interaction may occur within an Evangelion between it and a pilot"

Even though she had expressed it in dull terms, Genduo still questioned the ambiguity.

"So, a pilot can exchange genetic material with an EVA? Seems a little uneducated, don't you think?" He asked, his tone less arrogant than usual in light of whom it was directed.

"From what it says here, yes, and the Magi seem to agree" She replied, glasses back on and focusing on her screen. "Though, they question how the two hosts interact at such an eminent level"

"Berserker!" Maya said, almost interrupting her mentor.

Ritsuko looked up for a moment.

"Makes sense. When an Evangelion goes berserk, and it's pilot's synchronization levels excel, they may have enough interaction to perform the genetic transfusion, after all, thats all the sync ratios are; the pilots ability to will the EVA" Ritsuko said, directing her answer to her superiors mid~sentence.

Fuyutsuki, being the only other to have studied meta~biology, still queried the idea.

"In theory, that is. At the moment there is no way to tell whether or not this interaction occurred, or Unit~02 was merely acting out in the bestial way EVA's tend to whilst berserk" He stated, first looking at Akagi, and then to Genduo.

Ritsuko nodded in approval. After all, they were basing their assumptions off a 5 times outdated, poorly translated document.

Genduo stood up, and walked towards the exit of the conference room, leaving it until he was halfway through the door to speak.

"We will refer to this as 'The Berserker Complex', and I want you to begin further research into the possibility of this theory becoming fact immediately. Notify Misato" He said, facing no one before he left.

The three sat in silence for a moment before Fuyutsuki posed a difficult question;

"What is the status on the 4th child?"

Asuka awoke in the NERV private ward. Her eyes were still closed, but a subtle smile appeared across her face. Moma was always there for her, protecting her, always with her. 'You never really left me Moma. You came back for me' She thought. 'Moma, we don't have to die together, because we can live together again'. A fire of emotion burned inside her. She was loved, the one who meant the most to her never did forsake her. She can live on.

The red head sat up and looked around. The room had another bed, occupied by Shinji Ikari. Her smile quickly evaded her, now replaced by a confused look. The last thing she recalled from the Angel fight was having power cut and reverting to the lone minute battery life. From her memory, Shinji never even came into contact with the Angel, let alone need be hospitalized. Her usual self returning, a second though came through. 'He left you for dead to save that fucking doll. He deserves what ever he got' Asuka said to herself. Though she still harbored a hate for Shinji, she couldn't help thinking he could've came back for her, after all, he was here now. Maybe the ones she care about won't all end up hurting her. Asuka felt at ease, and drifted back off to sleep.


	2. Chapter Two, Subversion

Sorry for the slow update (Work, School etc), but here it it, the bridge between chapter one and the sample I published a week ago. I also proof read chapter one a bit as well. Enjoy =D

Subversion – 2

"We cannot have have an Evangelion acting on its own" Sounded the stone monolith of SEELE 1.

"A berserk Evangelion, with infinite power is a God" Came from SEELE 4, his predominant German accent obvious as it echoed throughout the black room.

"A God created by man! It's blasphemous" Said the stone of SEELE 3, the only one so far to raise his voice.

Genduo sat at his desk, his white gloves positioned in front of his face, the light of the monoliths reflecting off his spectacles. At the moment, Unit~02 wasn't crucial to his version of SEELE's plan, but their statements bore a lot of truth.

"Unit~02 displayed only one act of individual thought" Geno said, in reply, somewhat, to all the of the outspoken Instrumentality Committee members. "The damage done to Unit~01 was minimal, and this in no way detrimental the in Human Instrumentality Project".

"What you say is true, but from here on you will monitor the Evangelions more closely" Came lastly from SEELE 1 again. "Especially that estranged Test~type".

"Understood" Replied Genduo before the light of monoliths shut off one by one. Now alone, he uttered his final words before he sat up and left. "I'm coming, Yui".

Shinji sat up, finding his surroundings all to familiar. Being in the NERV hospital wing so often was something anyone would get sick of, even if they needed it. Though for once, he thought, he remembered how he got here. After wallowing in his own discontent during the Angel fight, the Angel must have collided with Unit~01. 'It must have damaged EVA somehow causing the pressure in my entry plug to increase' He thought remembering slowly blacking out from the high amounts of LCL being forced around him. He took his time looking around the room. Noticing Asuka hospitalized made his heart sink. 'Did the Angel hurt her? Was it because I left her alone?' Were just more thoughts, a continuation of his unhealthy mindset form during the fight. Thanks to his simple logic, he knew she wasn't badly hurt, if at all; there were no equipment around her other than a heart rate monitor, which was all he had beside him as well. Removing the devices attached to his chest, he edged off the bed and walked towards a chair beside the exit, having a pile of clothing set for him. There was a note atop his shirt;

'_Wake Asuka before you leave, Thanks – Misato_'.

Having to wake Asuka after the Angel fight was not something he particularly wished to do, but he thought Misato might have wanted them home together. Though she mightn't enjoy his company, he wouldn't mind someone to walk home with for once.

After dressing, he neatly made his bed and approached Asuka, sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to startle her specifically; having her in a bad mood from the start wasn't a brilliant idea.

"Asuka, wake up" He said to her, obviously not expecting a response. Trying more than once, he increased his volume, but she didn't wake.

'Heavy sleeper, I guess' He thought to himself. Not wanting to annoy Misato by letting her sleep, he shook her shoulder, calling her name once again.

"Asuka, come on, get up" He called, but still she slept.

Shinji sighed. He sat on the edge of Asuka's bed, shaking her shoulder over and over again, hoping it would be enough to wake her eventually. After a minute of continuous attempts to wake her, he gave up on shaking. As soon as he discontinued, and took his hand off her, her body turned. Shinji stared and blushed as he held his breath. In Asuka's act of subconsciousness, she had revealed her bare chest from under her hospital gown. Shinji felt his crotch tighten as his erection became impossible to hide. He stood above her, gazing down until his curious urges were released. Taking his hand, he leaned over and placed it gently on her. Shinji took a deep breath and swallowed as he began to fondle Asuka's breast, rubbing her nipple between his thumb and index finger.

He continued, rolling it around in his hand, his heart pounding. She was so serene, her red hair radiant in the afternoon sun. He stopped for a second and thought to himself. Was it a genuine love for her that drew him to the situation, or just an obliged~lust fusion? He kept this thought amidst his mind for a minute, before removing his hand. 'I'm sick and twisted. I left her. Why would she love me?' Swirled within his head. He had just violated her. Resting his head in his hands, he gave thought as to what to do. Asuka began to stir, and gave one deep breath before opening her eyes.

Asuka awoke, first noticing the mid~afternoon sun shining into her room, and then to Shinji, his head in his hands. She felt concern for him, but enjoyed his presence. He came back for her; the idea made her weak and she blushed. She sat up and Shinji reacted, knowing of her wake, but he didn't turn to see her.

"Shinji..." She started, staring at the boy who graced her presence. She wanted his attention, more than ever.

"Y~Yes, Asuka?" He replied, too horrified to turn to her.

Annoyed by his reaction, the Asuka Shinji knew most came forth. She gave him a quick kick to his lower back, knowing it wasn't enough to hurt him, but enough to get her point across.

"Face me, Third Child or I.." She began, only to cut herself short.

Noticing her own bare chest, she quickly reached around to grab her gown and conceal herself. She now knew the reason why he wouldn't turn. Asuka stood up from the opposite side and turned away from Shinji. She looked to the side, making sure she was able to see him in her peripheral vision, and noticing her pile of clothing on a chair in front of her bed. She walked over, and began changing, ignoring Shinji's presence.

Shinji could hear what Asuka was doing, and kept himself in check, eyes completely averted. Thankfully he wasn't bleeding yet, something he wouldn't expect form such an encounter. He had never felt so warm yet awkward before in his life. Her breasts were warm against his skin, and were aptly firm – something he had only ever been told about other women. Her footsteps sounded as she moved towards him, and his body stiffened.

"Pervert" She whispered, and then promptly slapped Shinji across his face, the noise echoing. She turned away from him without another word, and left the room.

Shinji crumbled inside. The look upon her face made him feel so inferior and pathetic. If he had just kept his urges to himself, he may have caught her in a good mood, and been able to properly interact meaningfully with her for the first time. He would have been finally able to meet the woman hidden deep inside. But again, his urges took hold of him, as he jumped up and exited the room in pursuit of Asuka.

Asuka hastily walked home, quite aware of Shinji behind her. She knew he would at least had a glimpse of her bare chest, which was an idea that infuriated her and gave her a crude awakening. She had finally thought Shinji had changed. He had stopped running away, and he had came back for her, and yet all it was to do was to eye her breasts. But of course, what did she expect. A small portion of her conscience told her he was worth the light of day, yet everything else led her to disagree. She subconsciously slowed her pace, thinking too deeply to notice. Shinji caught up, but never came to walk beside her, just another expectation she had fulfilled. Asuka began to breathe heavier nervous of their next encounter. The warmth she felt waking up and seeing him there returned with the glimmer of hope within her that Shinji would be there for her. He was here now, he was there before.

"Asuka, wait up" Shinji finally called out, quickening his pace slightly to try and come up beside her.

Asuka stopped, her hands on her hips, waiting for Shinji to come up in front of her. He stood behind her for a moment, but caught the gist, and walked up in front of her.

"I, I just wanted to say I'm sorry" He said after a pause, unable to look Asuka in the face.

'Pathetic' She thought. It was true. Not only did she feel a resentment for him now, but his apology means he did stare at her chest as she slept.

"You're a spineless, pathetic pervert. What'd you do, have a good look? Take a picture?" Asuka said, raising her voice.

"I was trying to wake you and..." Shinji began, his tone soft and quiet compared to the red head's.

Asuka slapped him, interrupting him. His face was now red on one side.

"And you decided it'd be a great idea to expose me?" She said as she edged closer to him, putting pressure on the pilot.

Shinji knew he would feel a world of hate and pain if he revealed to her what he actually did, but he was lucky, as Asuka looked like she was about to storm off. He stood in front of her for a moment, waiting for her to move on. Her eyes were fixated on his face, looking for any change in expression, glancing to stare into his eyes every so often. A portion of the truth would suffice for now.

"I was only trying to wake you, and then you rolled over, opening up your gown" Shinji began, Asuka's face still barely inches from his. He could feel her breath against his skin. "I didn't mean to"

Asuka looked at him for some time after he had finished, trying to judge whether he was lying or not. He stared back into her eyes, which to her meant the truth, assuming all she had been told was honest. After a hard kick to his shin, she walked off back in the direction of home. Shinji turned and followed, but keeping his distance.

The three sat at the table as usual, with little words spoken between them. Misato watched her two pseudo children quickly eat their meals, obviously ignoring her horrible cooking for once. She was the only one of the three that knew the entire story of the 13th Angel fight, after being told by Maya when she returned from the hospital after leaving clothing for the sleeping pilots. Her food went cold, as she spent too much time wondering how either of them would react if she told them. Knowing she had to tell them sooner or later, she got up and walked to the fridge and took a beer. Telling them wouldn't be the easiest thing, and the calmness granted by alcohol would make it more simple. Asuka finished her meal first and exited and room, leaving her bowl on the table for Shinji to clean as he normally does.

'Nows my chance' Misato thought to herself, now having one of the pilots alone.

"Shinji, what can you recall from the last Angel fight?" She asked, now serene from the inebriation.

Shinji looked at her. He knew Misato had been told, and now the thought that his idea's of what happened were wrong became set in stone within his mind.

"Everything up until I blacked out inside the entry plug, why do you ask, Misato?" He replied, now also having finished his meal.

"Well, there were some strange occurrences after Unit~01 powered down" She said, with all seriousness across her face. "I figured you should know".

Though everything was fine now, Shinji still feared something happened because of his refusal to destroy the Angel. He stood up, gathering the bowls from the table and returning them to the sink, ready to wash them when Misato had told him whatever she was about to. He stood for a second, looking down in contemplation.

'Everything is OK. Asuka's fine. You're fine' He thought, before gathering his ideas and returning to sit in front of Misato.

"What happened after I stopped controlling Unit~01?" Shinji asked, trying to match Misato's serious town, something he wasn't used to.

Misato inhaled and exhaled deeply, preparing herself.

"The Angel began to inflict damage to Unit~02 until Asuka retaliated" She began, but pausing to reword what she was about to say.

Shinji wondered what was so important about what he had just been told, but only for a moment until Misato returned to the conversation.

"Asuka willed her EVA into berserk, and desolated the Angel" She finished. Her sentence was complete, but she knew there was more to say.

Though the feat he was just told was amazing, he didn't see why he had to be caught alone to be told.

"Misato, I don't understand..." Shinji replied, nearly cutting Misato off.

"After doing so, Asuka went unconscious. When the Angel threat was eliminated, EVA Unit~02 moved towards Unit~01" She said, again leaving a pause to carefully choose her words. "Asuka's unit then promptly broke Unit~01's spine before deactivating".

Shinji began to realize why this was important.

"Why would the EVA do that?" He said, obvious concern shown in his town and expression.

Though it was not fact, Misato figured telling him what she understood to be true wouldn't harm anyone.

"From what Ritsuko had said, we believe it was Asuka's will to somehow damage Unit~01" She told, keeping her terms simple.

"I thought Unit~02 was berserk..." Shinji said, questioning in his mind what he had just been informed.

Misato didn't expect this sort of reply.

"Yes, EVA Unit~02 was berserk, which is why this is important" She said, wanting to remove any doubt in his mind early on. "Ritsuko believes somehow that Asuka's emotions are being acted upon by her EVA"

The importance hit Shinji hard. It dumbfounded him so he had to be reassured.

"So you're saying Asuka _wanted_ to hurt Unit~01? She wanted to hurt me?" He said, trying to come to terms with what he had been told.

Not wanting to stir Shinji, Misato knew she had to remove the idea from his mind that Asuka was at fault.

"At least this is what Ritsuko believes, but we aren't quite sure yet" She replied, hoping Shinji's ideas moved from ill intent to distrust in Akagi's hypothesis.

For a moment, neither of them spoke or moved. Shinji didn't want to believe what he had just been told, but he wouldn't have been if Misato didn't put some faith into it. He would have questioned it, but another idea caught his attention.

"Misato, what happened to the pilot, of EVA unit~3?"

She froze, and her heart sank. Misato was not prepared for the situation. She knew she had to tell him, she knew it would be better than for him to find out himself, but she wasn't sure if she could handle his emotions in the aftermath. If he was alone when he found out, he might run away again, which was the determining factor into her next words.

"The pilot was killed during Unit~02's assault. She used her AT field offensively, and shattered then entry plug" Misato started, still knowing there was more to say, but hoping Shinji wouldn't think much of it.

Shinji felt sick inside. He had abandoned Asuka and all of NERV, and the pilot he was so eager to protect still became another fatality of their endeavors. He had left Asuka alone, for nothing. He looked down, subduing any tears. But one more question burned within him.

"Who was the pilot?" He asked, looking up at Misato.

Misato felt a rush of adrenaline, the kind you get when you fear death. She was here for him though, and Asuka was here to keep him in check, so she still decided on telling him.

"The 4th child was Suzuhara, Toji"

Shinji felt anger boil inside him. Hate, regret, fury, fear, anxiety and sadness accompanied him. Though all were chaotic inside him, his body and mind were unable to comprehend his emotions. He stood up from the table, knocking over his chair. Seemingly emotionless, he turned and entered his room. Through physical exhaustion still lingering from the Angel battle, and his now predominant mental pain, he collapsed from a powerful mix of passing out and falling asleep.

'I guess he's just going to sleep it off...' Misato thought after hearing Shinji slump on the floor.

Shinji awoke, staring at the ceiling. He had hoped what he had endured the night before was just a nightmare, but the source of his awake was Misato's voice, telling Asuka what she had told him to cause his breakdown. His friend was dead, and he could have prevented it. He could have tried to kill the Angel without damaging the entry plug. He could have used his progressive knife to retrieve the plug before destroying it. He could have done something, but he didn't. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't cry. Attacking the Angel while still hosting a pilot was what his father wanted, and admitting his wrong doing would advocate his ways. Genduo leaving him would have been OK if he admitted it. Instead, Shinji tried his best to believe it didn't happen. If he lied to himself for long enough, he might begin to believe his lies. He left his room, and walked to the kitchen, trying to smile, but not having the capacity to remove the look of despair from his face. Misato had cooked for him and Asuka, but he wasn't hungry. Ignoring the conversation between Misato and Asuka, he retrieved some clean and folded clothing, and returned to his room to prepare himself for school. He dressed and packed his bag, and then went back to the kitchen to pick up his lunch. By this time, they two girls had finished, and Asuka seemed to be phased slightly by the ill~news. She was ready for school, and despite how badly Shinji wanted to walk alone, they left the apartment at the same time.

Asuka thought about what she had just been told, and like Shinji, she decided upon being ignorant of some of the facts. The two entered the elevator at the same time, neither of them saying a word. Though the trip down was short, Asuka was caught in the silence, and thought out aloud.

"What am I going to tell Hikari" She said to herself, as if Shinji wasn't present.

But Shinji was, and the thought returned to him, along with malicious words.

"That you killed Toji..." He said in the same tone as Asuka, his head low, but his body facing hers.

Asuka snapped out of her mindset, noticing the elevator doors closing on them. She didn't care, as all focus was transferred to Shinji's remark.

"You think it was _my _fault hes dead? You think I wanted to kill Toji?" Asuka said in defense.

Shinji was sure of it.

"You were in control of Unit~02, and you killed him" He replied in the doll like state he often remember Rei in.

Asuka remembered what Misato had told her about her emotions affecting her EVA. She knew she was unconscious, she could've done nothing to stop Unit~02. Her natural reaction was to go on the offensive.

"You're a coward. It was your stupid decision that left me alone!" She yelled at him. "If you were there, maybe Unit~02 would never have went berserk. It was your constant running away that killed Toji!"

Asuka's words cut Shinji deeply, mostly because he too blamed himself at one stage. But it was by her will that Toji was gone, not his.

"You're heartless. You're a self~centered bitch" Shinji looked up at Asuka, his anger easily showing upon his face. "It's no wonder no one can stand you!"

Shinji's words sent Asuka into a darkness in her mind. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was her fault her father left. Why her mother chose a doll over her for so many years. Why Toji was dead. She looked down, unable to reply to Shinji. The elevator doors opened as an elderly man began to walk in. Asuka took the opportunity to leave, running off and away from Shinji.

By now Shinji had come to terms, realized by Asuka's response. Running away wasn't going to bring Toji back. He took one step to exit the elevator and the doors closed behind him. Tears dropped from his face, splashing before his feet. He stood stationary for minutes, thinking unable to confront anyone that knew Toji again. What was he supposed to tell them? How will they react? All these questions were ones he didn't want answers for. He felt like collapsing again when he heard the elevator doors open behind him.

"Shinji! Theres an Angel attacking! Wheres Asuka?" Misato screamed as soon as the doors let her voice carry through.

Shinji simply pointed in the direction Asuka ran off in before being taken by hand by Misato.

The two pilots stood in the EVA cages, each of them just staring at Misato as she briefed them.

"The target has been classified as the 14th Angel, and is currently situated above the Geofront" She began, looking between the two. "Asuka, you will accompany Shinji, as Rei is still in recovery from the 13th Angel's infection.

Asuka was still hurting inside from what Shinji had said, and the idea of being an accompaniment to him off all people was the last thing on her mind.

"No, Shinji will be fine without me. He's fine having people abandon him" She said in return, only just able to be heard by Misato and Shinji. "Leaving people behind is in his blood"

Immediately, Shinji understood what she was implying. Being compared to his father was not something he was going to let slide.

"Aghh, It's your fault Toji is dead! If you would just be nice to someone for once, maybe they won't abandon you in the first place!" Shinji yelled, turned and in a powerful stances towards Asuka.

"Then fight alone..."


	3. Chapter Three, Indifference

I proof read this chapter a lot, and added a bit of content to help the story progress. Enjoy =D

Indifference – 3

Shinji sat quietly in the entry plug, Asuka's words still vivid in his mind. As hard as he tried, the moment replayed over and over again in his sub~conscious, each time taken focus away from the mission before him. The PA system wailed, a procedure now all too familiar to him.

"Release the 1st lock bolt!" "It has been released" "Move the umbilical bridge!" "Release the 2nd lock bolt!" "Take off the 1st binding and then the 2nd binding" "Cancel the 1st through 15th safety locks" "Internal battery has charged" "Socket for external power supply is operational, though..." "OK. EVA Unit One to the launching pad!" "Launch Evangelion Unit~01!" The EVA shot up the launch shaft, gaining speed over time. Though he was used to it, the combination of the high speeds and the LCL in his lung still made Shinji feel uneasy every time he piloted Unit~01. The time alone made him think. 'Asuka, It was my fault. I shouldn't have said that. You don't have to. I need you' were the thoughts he was unable to shake, until an ideal hit him. 'I can have another chance, if I finish this and apologize. It'll be OK. I can stand the pain now'. But his thoughts were cut short as the EVA's head cocked back after completing the launch sequence. "Releasing the final safety locks!" The EVA leaned forward.

Unit~01 stood before the Angel at a comfortable distance. While it stared at Shinji, he willed Unit~01 to dash towards a nearby building, not yet submerged in the Geofront. Knowing full well it contained a pellet~rifle, he tore the building apart, revealing the massive weapon.

"Shinji's has equipped the rifle, do we know if it will penetrate the angels AT field?" Makoto questioned, turning to Aoba.

"No sure fire way to tell until he uses it" He responded. "As far as I know, the Angel's AT field strength varies"

Maya turned and nodded in concur.

Shinji closed his eyes and reminisced for but a second. 'Target to the center, pull the trigger' Swirled around in his head until he opened his eyes, ready to begin. As the three~sided reticule was centered on the Angel's core, he gripped both control triggers with aggression. The rounds flashed as they ricocheted off the it's AT field; it was more powerful than those he had encountered before. Knowing what he had to do, he threw the great rifle to the ground and ran towards the Angel, a shock wave echoing as Unit~01 surpassed the speed of sound. As the distanced was closed almost in an instant, the two giants collided. He concentrated as he inverted the Angel's AT field with Unit~01's. It took a moment, but Shinji's experience in this matter was enough, tearing through the remaining field. The act caught the Angel unaware, and the momentum still active from Shinji's attack threw Unit~01 on top of the Angel. A crack sounded as the weight of Unit~01 crushed the Angel's left arm, and completely rupturing it's claw full hand.

A large grin appeared on Shinji's face, and his eyes widened; his second chance was only one fight away.

"The Angel is weakened, shouldn't be long now" Makoto said calmly. From Shinji's last encounters with each Angel, his prediction of a push over fight was holding true.

"Don't be so sure Hyuga, angels have a tendency to underestimate the EVAs" Misato countered, though, she shared his opinion.

Genduo stared at the main screen. His thoughts split between the battlefield before him, and what Ritsuko had told him earlier. Fuyutsuki could see through the commander's apparent visage.

"Shall I issue the order?" He questioned.

But the elder Ikari didn't respond, his thoughts set too deeply on the situation to notice. He knew for certain this was the perfect chance to begin primary evaluation, but the perfect time had not yet presented itself.

The crippled Angel reacted quickly, swiping at Unit~01's head with it's uninjured arm. Though it's primary AT field had be negated, it's strength was still a great asset over the less~than peak performance Shinji. The attack connected. Unit~01's head jerked, not causing severe damage, but causing the EVA to tumble off it's target. Adrenaline coursed throughout Shinji's veins, sending him into an intoxicating state of awareness. Rolling out of his fall, he willed Unit~01, making his armored companion to leap backwards, ready to restart it's assault. In the short span of time it was inactive, the Angel had already begun regenerating it's damaged limb; the bleeding had ceasing, and mobility was returning. Shinji quickly noticed, sprinting towards the Angel once again, more so prepared as the AT field had be neutralized. The gap between them closed, and Unit~01 launched a closed fist at the Angel's core, hoping any connection would weaken it, if at least temporarily. The blow was caught in the Angel's palm, and began to twist Unit~01's limb. Before the pain became imminent, another fist was thrown wildly at the Angel's core, again caught aptly by his foes weakened free limb.

"Shinji's sync ratio has dropped below 60%" Maya stated. Though she knew the results were unwelcome, she kept her emotions intact.

"Misato! I need help! I need someone!" Shinji yelled, struggling with the Angel for dominance. It's overbearing size putting Unit~01 at a disadvantage.

"Shinji, Rei is still in recovery from the last Angel fight, you will have to go about this alone" Misato promptly replied. She knew vaguely why he wanted anyone, but she also knew he needed this for himself to progress.

As the Angel distorted the EVA's arms it lent forward. Shinji looked up from his struggle, into it's singular eye. If it could express itself, a sinister look would be plain upon it's face, and a grin of malicious intent. Pale orange octagons began to phase in and out between the two monoliths, faster and more frequent as the split second past. Both Shinji's and Unit~01's eyes widened. A massive AT field projected from the Angel's core. The power of the wave sent Unit~01 flying backwards, colliding and desolating the once avid landscape. The days spent looking over Tokyo~3, finding his place in the world, the cliffs he and his friends camped upon, and any evidence of these memories, all gone.

The Angel lunged towards Unit~01, swinging it's clawed hands at it's head. Shinji closed his eyes and concentrated, only just allowing him to dodge each furious attack. Quickly, he deployed his prog~knife, catching it smoothly and attempting to penetrate the angels naturally exposed core. For a moment, Shinji saw a glimmer of hope; this hell would be over, finally, but his senses deceived him. Light gathered, and a massive beam of light shot from the Angel's core. The damage to his psyche in the days past had caught up to him. Memories flashed within him. First his father forsaking him, but the one of all that hit the most, was of Asuka, leaving him to fight the Angel alone.

'Everyone worth anything to me ends up deserting me' ; Shinji's final thought before the blast connected. The beam flickered as it severed Unit~01's left arm completely and gushes of thick, red blood flowed freely from the tan being beneath the armor plating. Both Shinji and the being cried out in agony, clutching their wounds.

"Cut power to Unit~01 immediately" Genduo said calmly, hands folded before him, as if it was protocol "I want to see this Berserker Complex be established."

All eyes were fixated on the commander, but not in protest.

"But the EVA will be stuck on limited battery life. Your son will..." Maya began, her words spoken for everyone in the room.

Genduo stood up interrupting her. His right hand hidden within his pocket as always, and the face of a man with a heart of stone appeared.

"If this Complex is indeed more than theory as Katsuragi suggests, it is within our best interests as an organization to see it through. Now cut the power to Unit~01. His physical wounds will heal."

His words resided even as he turned and left the room. Maya looked down at her monitor, and everyones gaze averted as a tear rolled down her cheek and the switch was flicked.

"Misato! What's going on!" Shinji screamed as he thrashed at his controls. The Angel erected itself, continuing its advance on the now lifeless Unit~01.

"Misato, I've only got 3 minutes left. Mis.." Shinji's exclaim was cut off by howls of pain. The Angel's talon like hands gripped and tore the EVA's flesh. Bloodshed was imminent, and the images of a mangled torso appeared on the screen in front of Misato.

"Ugh, Maya! What's his status? How is Unit~01?" Misato yelled, though keeping her composure despite the pain she could feel inside with each impaling claw she saw rip at the EVA's flesh.

"Unit~01 has mass critical damage to it's torso, left arm and abdomen!" Maya returned, wiping what was left of her vomit from her chin. She too could see the brutality of Shinji's suffering, but she kept her form too after seeing Misato hold firm.

Unit~01 lay motionless on the submerged Geofront's surface. What appeared to be gore of heart and intestines where all the was concealing it's core. Blood and bile had painted the landscape a dark red. The Angel ceased it's assault. The battlefield lay quiet for a moment, and so did the NERV command center, spare Maya's weeping.

The entire crew watched the screen, all silent and scanning for any movement from the EVA. After no less than an ironic minute of silence;

"What's his status?" Misato murmured. To her, she knew it was a rhetorical question, but there was a small part of her that still clung to a glimmer of hope.

After a moment; "Unit~01 is lifeless. The pilot is.." Maya was cut off by vomit erupting from her mouth.

"Fuck. Get him some help!" Misato screamed, a mix of rage and sorrow filling the space. "Prepare Asuka, launch Unit~02 ASAP!"

But, despite her efforts, the entire room lay still and quiet before their monitors. No one made eye contact and each member managed to find their own portion of the complex to fixate upon. Misato saw the despair. She was caught in between yelling more orders and breaking down, but the mass pressure of the situation brought upon the latter.

The Angel's pause was short lived. It's long arms motioned and gripped Unit~01's neck. As it was lifted up, the EVA's organs spilled out onto the earth, splashing blood further from impact. The light in Unit~01's eyes had dimmed. Shinji lay in his pool of LCL, motionless. Not even the subtle pulse from a heartbeat rippled amidst the blood~like substance. His muscles relaxed, releasing his grip and place on the controls; his body floating, and his hair flowing.

The sound of the EVA's spine breaking echoed throughout Tokyo~3 and the Geofront.

As Misato fell to her knees and wept in tandem with Maya, an echoing noise filled the room.

She looked up, expecting to see an evac alert flashing on the main screen; nothing. Misato looked around, trying to locate the origin of the sound. He eyes were averted;

"Unit~01 is reactivating! Sync ratio fluctuating at 450%!" Makoto yelled in a rabid mix of disbelief and fear. He had, as the rest of them, witnessed Unit~01 reactivating, but the circumstances to them all to the edge.

"Shinji's alive!" Maya screamed, a smile appearing on hers and Misato's faces.

"Berserker." Genduo had retaken his seat atop the command center, a sinister yet arrogant and pleased grin plastered upon his face.

Unit~01's jaw dropped, it's eyes lighting up with a radiant green light. A vigorous roar vibrated throughout the region as it's arm flung up to grab the Angel's limbs, and AT, wing~like protrusions sprouted from Unit~01's back. The Angel was caught. It had already, unknowingly given the EVA space within it's AT field, and range to use it's superior strength.

After another massive roar, a cataclysmic orb appeared from Unit~01; a full AT field. The sheer force of it's projection sent the Angel flying, mangling it's limbs upon impact with the ground. A splash of blue blood stained the already red street, giving off a dark purple as the two substances mixed. Unit~01 turned to it's spilled vital organs and limb rotting on the city surface. Without hesitation, a wave over AT field raised the gore and returned it to the EVA's torso, a white light of regeneration filling the area.

"His sync ratio is still increasing!" Aoba exclaimed, a thought that was seldom raised in an aftermath of such brutal events.

"What's it at now?" Misato questioned, still recovering from the trauma that others managed to elude.

"570% and still on the rise!"

The room once again fell silent. A second later, the sound of paper crushing alerted Misato. Major Akagi had entered, and dropped her documents. She was in awe of what had begun before her. The major had never witnessed such a phenomenal sync ratio, even under perfect conditions.

"The Berserker Complex, Major" Genduo said, exiting through the doorway which Ritsuko had just entered.

When the light subsided, a an unscathed Unit~01 reared its head. The regions once torn to shreds were now flawless, having only the missing armor as a reminder of the chaos the preceded it. The projected complete AT field subsided as the EVA floated high above the ground. It's presence and massive disturbance in air pressure had been a catalyst as a large storm brewed around it. By this time, the Angel had already begun some regeneration, allowing it limited movement. It struggled as it picked itself up from the wasteland, it's eye fixated on the phenomenon that was the airborne berserk Unit~01.

"What's the pilot's status?" Misato said in a superior tone, her composure regained.

"We have yet to receive any communication from the pilot, but by the looks of things, he has to be OK." Makoto said, looking back up to the commander he desired. After a pause; "His sync ratio is still increasing, but our monitors say he is unconscious"

'Wait a second. We cut power to Unit~01' Thought Misato, looking at Akagi who had taken stand beside her, now staring at the main screen.

"Ritsuko" Misato whispered

She looked up at Katsuragi.

"What exactly is the Berserker Complex?"

Ritsuko turned to face Misato, both leaning on the platform wall. "The Berserker Complex is" she started, pausing to look up again at the main screen. "A bond made between the EVA and a pilot, constructed portion by portion each and every time a unit goes berserk"

"And what does it do?" Misato replied, a little impatience showing in her tone.

"When an EVA goes berserk, it begins to take on the aspects of it's pilot. In theory, this will continue until the EVA's are mirror images of their pilot's, allowing for a perfect sync ratio" Ritsuko finished, now looking back at Misato.

"We cut power to Unit~01 over 10 minutes ago, and Shinji is unconscious" Misato said, implying a question.

"I don't understand either Misato"

With that, the two woman turned and watched the main screen in awe.

Unit~01 glared at the feeble Angel below it, and with a third bestial roar, the EVA dived, leaving a trail of dissipating AT field in it's wake. The Angel braced itself before launching it's arms at it's adversary. Unit~01 continued it's pursuit, ignoring the attack. In due courage, the arms connected with an AT field, crushing them indefinitely. The Angel stumbled, moments before Unit~01's intentions became reality.

The EVA landed on top of the Angel, ripping and tearing in a vain similar to what it had endured before. Blue blood sprayed out onto Unit~01 as it tore limb from limb off the Angel, until only a bloodied core remained. It grasped it tightly. The sound of muscles tightening accompanied the mighty shatter of the Angel's core.

A massive explosion erupted as a great cross of light beamed from the crushed core. The Angel was silenced. Though content, the EVA's eyes gleamed once more before crouching, dormant.

"The Angel's AT field can't be detected! He's defeated the Angel!" Makoto exclaimed, his relief obvious.

"Great, now get a cleanup team out there and retrieve Shinji from EVA Unit~01" Misato ordered, sharing Makoto's emotion.

"Major Katsuragi, we may have a problem" Aoba began

Shinji awoke in the NERV private ward. He had no clue as to the time, date, and the Angel fight eluded him. As he tried to sit up, he felt aching around his neck, and the pain in the chest caused him to vomit, the motion made him dizzy and he blacked out.

"Shinji?"

"Wake up third child!"

"Asuka, he's been in a coma for nearly 5 weeks..."

"5 weeks too long!"

Noises rung in Shinji's head, and although it pained him to return to reality, hearing Asuka's voice was a relief and a good enough reason to. He opened his eyes, the light above him blinding. He squinted, able to make out the figures of 3. Asuka and Misato; he had heard their voices, but the last to him was a mystery. He sat up, the pain he recalled from his last attempt not evident. Bandages were around his chest and abdomen, tightly bound, but no enough to restrict his movement. He turned to face Misato, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, and then to Asuka, leaning against the doorway leading from the room.

"'Bout time you woke up, I was beginning to think the invincible Shinji had finally met his maker" Asuka said, nose high in the air as she walked toward him.

He wasn't quite sure what had happened, his mind was still a wreck and in a daze. Questions floated around in his head.

"What happened?" He asked as he turned to Misato, in his typical soft tone.

Misato edged closer. She looked at him, puzzled, but not surprised at his question.

"EVA Unit~01 went berserk after sustaining mass critical damage to the lower chest and abdomen region, and defeated the Angel" She replied, matching his quiet tone.

Shinji nodded, his bandages now explained. He began to recall vague events that preceded nearly 5 weeks ago. His eyes sharpened.

"Why did I lose power? I was fine up until then" Shinji asked, his tone more stern and affirming

Misato looked down. She didn't want to tell him, and she didn't have to.

"The Angel severed your umbilical cable, and Unit~01's batteries malfunctioned" She lied.

Shinji's thoughts were still a blur, and her reply suited him fine for the time being. Misato looked up at him and smiled.

"Now get up, the weekend's drawing to a close, we need to get you back and ready for school tomorrow; the break is already over" The major said, her smile fading.

The motherly figure he looked up to was holding true, and a slight feeling caught him by surprise. A warmth unlike anything he had ever experienced before. A mother, a home and a purpose. Shinji felt less of an abnormality in his existence, and it forced an in~escapable smile to his face. Unfortunately, his time to dwell in his newfound feelings where short~lived.

"What are you smiling at? The invincible Shinji gloating over his Angel defeat, there's no need for _me___to be here anymore!" Asuka raised her voice, making aggravated gestures towards herself and Shinji.

"It wasn't that..." He began, careful not to match her tone. Though he wanted to help, more than anyone, he knew nothing he thought would aid her understanding

With a grunt, Asuka stormed through, and slammed the door behind her. As the door closed, the emotion inside enveloped her. She backed against the corridor wall as her knees gave way and she battled the urge to cry. She knew she couldn't cry, ever again, but all the feelings that overrun her the time before crept up on her, eating her inside. Had she really thrown aside? All because of Shinji "our savior" and that 'Doll'. She hung her head in her arms and screamed, knowing the walls were soundproof. The sheer thought of being beaten and replaced by a doll again brought her to breaking point. No one cared for her, even after all these years had past her by, her silver bullet was her own doing. But she couldn't accept anyone again. Images of her mother's hanging corpse, pale and clammy, flashed before her as she slammed her head into the wall. She knew her mother was always with her, but the pain couldn't shake the horror show in her mind. Memories of her childhood began to distort. Her image being replaced by a doll caused her to thrash, forcing her head into the metallic surface again and again. She screamed out again as her vision blurred, but still, she didn't shed a tear. She knew if but one tear rolled down her cheek, that these nightmares would have won; one more defeat she couldn't ever stand for. Her memories replayed again, more chaotic than before. Images of her were replaced by the doll again, and her father by Shinji. First Shinji left her and her mother took up the doll as her own, and the pain buried deep began to reemerge. She couldn't wish for anything but for the visions to stop, so she gathered her might. The pain in her head was blurred by her external pain, an ideal she planned to utilize once again. She looked up, ready to finish her plan, when a piercing noise caught her attention.

It was the NERV alarm

"Would Major Misato Katsuragi, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Sohryu please report to Doctor Ritsuko Akagi in the command center immediately. Repeat..." The P.A sounded.

Though the mental images had stopped, Asuka still felt the pain she had forced upon herself as a remedy. She was still conscious, something she was now thankful for. If Misato was to exit the room, or worse, with Shinji, she would have noticed Asuka's breakdown and the blood dripping down the wall and now Asuka's neck. Her fight to hide her emotions; another such grind she refused to give up. She slowly brought herself to stand up, and made her way down the hall using the wall as a guide, as her vision was still on the edge of blindness. After stumbling a few times, she found herself at the elevator. The familiar sight was reassuring as she pressed the service button. Immediately the doors opened.

"Asuka! Hold the doors!" Misato said, running towards her.

Desperate not to have her wound noticed, she walked in, and hit the 'close' button repeatedly. To her content, the doors closed before Misato could reach her. She sighed as she motioned to order the elevator to the command center.


	4. Chapter Four, Envisage

Here it is. I wanted to get some more character interaction going, which is vital to the storyline, and make the story progress a little faster, so here is my attempt. Tell me what you think =D

Envisage – 4

Ritsuko was at the computer typing madly when Asuka entered from the second level. She still felt unwell from her acts at the ward, but she had wiped away most of the traces of blood, and had hidden the wound in her long red hair. Her vision had fully returned, nothing less than what she expected form herself. After all, she was an elite pilot. She walked over to Ritsuko and sat down in what would normally be Makoto's chair. Akagi's monitor was flashing with various lines moving across and the screen, spiking and falling every so often. Though she was no dunce, Asuka had no idea as to what Ritsuko was working on. Her senses now returning to working order, she heard footsteps.

Misato burst through the door.

"Whats the situation!" She yelled, expecting to see a room full of NERV employees only to find two women sitting in front of a computer. Misato developed a look if discontent.

"Ahh, you're here, nice of you to show up so quickly" Ritsuko said as she turned to Misato, her sarcasm obvious.

"Yeah, sorry about that, the lift was full" She said, smiling at Akagi, then turning to frown at Asuka, who took no notice.

"Well, since I don't feel like repeating myself, we'll wait until Rei arrives before I show you" Ritsuko said, her eyes returning to the computer.

Asuka and Misato sat and watched her work, her fingers a blur on the keyboard. Misato understood what she saw, but how each piece was relevant to each other eluded her. Sync ratio graphs, brain wave patterns and the like, but also words obviously from the German text Ritsuko had told Misato of. After a minute or two, Asuka began to lean towards Ritsuko's work, interested as to it's nature. There were two large windows, with an active graph in each, and a table of results on each side. Doctor Akagi had forgotten Asuka's first language was German.

"Die Berserker~Komplex?" Asuka murmered, thinking aloud despite her company. "Die Verbindung zwischen den piloten und der Eva"

Ritsuko realised that she was reading the report windowed at the bottom of her screen, and minimized it. "Didn't I say we were going to wait for Rei?"

'Rei' Asuka thought. That bitch. Not any amount of pain would hide the hate still lingering inside her, but, it wasn't pain Asuka needed. Just a simple visage, not unlike one she had be utilizing all these years when she thought her Moma wasn't there.

"Shes probably still in recovery from the 13th Angel. We can't _all _be elite pilots you know" Asuka stated her assumptions, a smug look on her face. In her eyes, Rei was nothing more than a doll. "No one here knows how to stitch, so how do you expect them to fix her?"

"Its been months, Asuka. How could you possibly think she is still recovering?" Ritsuko said, turning from her work, tough typing with one hand.

"I don't know? I'm not the doctor here, am I? She replied, folding her arms and turning away from Akagi. Sometimes she wondered if she was going to fall for her own visage, after all, she was a brilliant actor.

Rei walked in from the same elevator as Misato and Asuka had came from.

"It's about time Wondergirl got here. What took you so long?" Asuka piped up, her hands on her hips in the powerful stance she was well known for.

"I was visiting Shinji Ikari in the private ward. I'm sorry I took so long" Rei replied, her tone not as soft as usual.

Asuka noticed this slight change in Rei.

"What's gotten into you? Is your chord broken?" She replied, still insisting on making doll jokes. Though they were vastly simplistic, they still seemed to make her feel better.

Ritsuko stood up, silencing any more of Asuka's remarks, and bringing attention to herself.

"Now that we're all here, I'll get you all up to speed with why I called you here" She began, her hands inside her white coats pockets still twitching slightly from stopping typing. She removed her right hand, and typed something on her computer, making her monitor appear on the main screen.

The two massive graphs were constantly moving, and looped after reaching a certain time limit, with the tables of results staying static.

"As you can probably now see, the graph on the top shows Asuka's brain wave patterns during her last Angel fight, and it's corresponding statistics to the right." Ritsuko began. "The graph on the bottom shows Asuka's brain waves from a harmonics test we took a while ago, you remember, the one Shinji finally beat you in?"

"Yeah, yeah I remember, but don't get too comfortable with the idea" Asuka replied, the memory vivid in her mind.

"Ritsuko" Misato began. "I don't quite see the relevance of showing two harmonics graphs comparing the same person"

Ritsuko removed her glasses.

"But that's whats so interesting about these results" She replied. "At 9 minutes 54 seconds on the top graph, I'll pause it while restarting the bottom graph. Just tell me what you see"

Doctor Akagi, typed quickly on the keyboard before return to watch the screen, a smile of somewhat admiration on her face.

Immediately it was obvious what was so special about comparing the two graphs. As the top graph spiked and fell, stabilized and then repeated, the bottom graphed almost mirrored it's movement. Misato stood and stared. Though such results where not expected, to her, seeing similar results from the same pilot was nothing fancy.

"They are both from Asuka. Whats so significant about their similarities?" Misato asked as she turned to Ritsuko, her impatience showing.

Ritsuko smiled as she replaced her glasses.

"At the time of the harmonics test, Asuka's brain waves showed typically the generic pattern of the human emotions of jealousy and anger" She started. "The significance lies with the fact that Asuka was unconscious at 9 minutes 54 during the Angel fight"

Asuka and Misato began to grasp what Ritsuko was trying to explain. Rei stood and watched, not saying anything.

"So during the Angel fight, I was jealous of Shinji?" Asuka said, nearly yelling. "I knew I was angry at him, but at no point in time did I envy that coward."

"According to the graph, at the moment before Unit~02 assaulted Unit~01, you did" Ritsuko corrected her. "What I'm trying to explain is.."

"It was Asuka's jealousy and anger for Shinji that spurred Unit~02 to attack Unit~01" Misato interrupted, finally realizing the purpose of the meeting.

Asuka tensed.

"What? I was unconscious! It wasn't my fault Unit~01 was hurt" She cried, almost in a childish sulk.

'For a university qualified person, shes pretty thick' Ritsuko thought to herself.

"Thats not what I'm trying to say, Asuka" She said, hoping it would help cool her temper. "This basically tells us that your raw emotions are being acted upon by your EVA"

The idea got through to Asuka. For her, it was a dangerous thing. Even though she was with Moma all the time now, her true feelings were being betrayed by her priceless Evangelion Unit~02. Some more sick thoughts hit her.

"Ohhhh, what If I think of Kaji next time Unit~02 goes berserk? She wailed. "It'd be so stupid seeing two EVAs rolling around on top of each other"

Misato and Ritsuko began laughing. Even Rei giggled a little. But Asuka's stern look slowly silenced the uproar.

"Don't worry about that Asuka" Ritsuko replied, still trying to subdue herself. "I doubt the EVAs would react the same way to humans under those sorts of circumstances. Plus I'd say that'd only happen if Kaji was piloting Unit~01"

The idea burned up inside Asuka.

"Can he!" She screamed, a massive smile on her face. Though, it was short lived.

"NOOOO!" Misato and Ritsuko said in unison. Having Kaji around any more than he is was an unwelcome thought to the both of them.

"Figures" Asuka replied, a little disheartened. "Was this all you wanted us for? Seems a bit small to use the NERV alarm just to get us here for this"

Ritsuko smiled at remembering the purpose of the rest of the meeting. The events that had preceded it shed a humorous light upon it.

"Well.." She began. "Since we can't have you causing massive damage to Unit~01 every time you have a bad day, NERV has ordered that while you aren't piloting the EVA's, all three pilots are to begin to bond beyond that of acquaintances"

The idea shocked the rest of the meeting party.

'I have to become friends... with Wondergirl and Shinji' Asuka thought.

'I have to supervise WW4. Lucky me' Misato thought, sharing Asuka's look of disapproval.

'Beyond acquaintances?' Rei thought, surprised at herself as much as to Ritsuko's statement.

Ritsuko could see the lack of enthusiasm towards their new 'orders', spare Rei, who's emotions weren't accurately portrayed.

"See, this is why you need to get to know each other better" She said. "If you keep avoiding anything meaningful, the EVAs are just going to get destroyed every time one goes berserk. Plus it could improve your sync ratios"

This idea was more welcoming to Asuka. She wasn't going to let Moma go away, and deep down she knew she wanted to stop pushing people away. Now that there was a little incentive, it might sink in. Misato too, saw a brighter side. The less damage to the EVAs, the less paperwork she had to do.

'Too easy' Misato thought.

"What about the angels?" Rei asked, stepping forward.

"We have reason to believe that the remaining angels would be in a state not unlike the 8th Angel" Ritsuko replied. "Until we have more knowledge on their locations, we can't act"

"Fine, I'll do it" Asuka spurred up, hiding her interior feelings.

"Are you sure you can Asuka?" Misato replied, knowing a different side of Asuka. She knew if she made it seem like a challenge, there was no way she would give up.

"I'm the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu, there's nothing I can't do!" Asuka said, again in her signature stance.

"Good, now you can go help Shinji return home" Ritsuko said, looking back to Asuka. "Commander wishes to see you Rei, and Misato, you still have paperwork on your desk from the last Angel attack"

Misato's face went from smug from convincing Asuka to take to the new orders smoothly, to a dark frown. Because of the major interest in the Berserker Complex within the organization, she was being loaded with work. Work she'd rather forget.

"Thanks for reminding me, Ritusko" Misato replied.

The three parties then parted ways. Misato and Ritsuko left from the top level exit, Misato still bickering about all her paperwork. Rei went out their current level exit, not making a sound as she walked or breathed. Asuka had always wondered what Rei did with Commander Ikari. She was always with him, and she never talked about it. But she had more important things to do than worry about that doll. Asuka smiled, her actions before the meeting out of mind, and made her way back to the elevator. It was still at their level, meaning no one had used it since Rei. She walked in and pressed the button indicating the private ward. The doors closed, and the elevator began the ascent. Asuka waited impatiently, tapping her foot rapidly. Though the ride was long, her mind didn't wander. She was going to be friends with Shinji, whether he liked it or not, which was an aspect that was going to make her job a whole lot more interesting. Her first thoughts were on how to inform Shinji or their 'orders'.

'How would I want to be told' She heard herself think. If she told him they were orders, he would most definitely obey, but it'd be them following orders, not becoming friends. She could tell him to see Ritsuko, then there could be no confusion, but then she wouldn't be really doing her job. More ideas cycled until she had decided.

The elevator doors opened with a ping, and Asuka walked outside. She moved down the hall quickly, and had come to Shinji's room long before any other thoughts had crossed her mind, even completely ignoring the small stain still on the wall outside. After taking a deep breath, she turned the door knob, and walked in. She was about to start speaking her mind to Shinji, only to notice he had already fallen asleep again. Asuka became irritated, but her mission still in mind.

"Wake up Shinji!" She yelled, a big smile residing seeing Shinji stir before waking. "I'm walking you home!"

Shinji sat up and looked at Asuka. She was wearing the yellow dress he had first seen her in. He remembered her first reactions, so he made sure not to eye her chest, though his previous encounter made it somewhat difficult. To him, Asuka seemed a lot different. Before, she was really upset, nearly over nothing, but now she seemed really energetic. He began to get up slowly, something that seemed to annoy Asuka.

"Come on, I've waited 5 weeks for you, you could at least move faster" She said, walking over to him. She pulled off the hospital sheet and yanked him out of bed.

In the same motion, Asuka gestured towards a pile of clothing sitting in the corner of the room. She turned to hurry Shinji up more, only to notice a protrusion from under his underwear. He looked up to see her eyes, and the unforgiving look that came to her face.

"Perversen idioten!" She screamed, walking past Shinji towards the door, leaving a large red hand print on his cheek as she did.

Shinji didn't say anything, knowing it would also incur another slap from Asuka. He was also visualizing her breasts from after the last Angel fight. Asuka hadn't left, so he assumed she was waiting for him to finish getting dressed. He moved over and began to get dressed, his back turned to Asuka, making sure his front was well hidden. He could hear Asuka tapping her foot, so he hurried, but making sure not to forget to do up his fly. After quickly slipping on his shoes, he walked back to Asuka's side, who noticed him in her peripheral vision.

"Bout time you finished, now come on" Asuka said, grabbing his arm, pulling him through the doorway and leading him back down the hall towards the elevator.

'This is going to be easy, he just does what he's told' She thought to herself.

As they walked, Shinji noticed a damp patch on the back of Asuka's head. He caught up a bit and looked closer.

"Asuka you're bleeding" He stated, still keeping up with her. Shinji was a little worried for Asuka's sake, but he still wasn't sure what he felt.

Asuka knew she could never tell him what happened, no matter how close they got.

"It's nothing, now come on" replied the red head, quickly, but not enough to cause Shinji to think she was hiding something. Again, she yanked him arm, which brought him up beside her.

For the first time in ages, the two pilots walked side by side. Shinji felt a comforting feeling overtake him, making him walk slower, subconsciously wanting to prolong the emotion. Asuka slowed her pace too. She wondered if it was the wanting to become friends for the commander's sake, or a genuine feeling, but it was for the best either way.

As they came to the elevator, their pace slowed again, the same driving emotions acting again, but their walk together came to a halt. They paused before hitting the service button, and again, the doors opening straight away. They walked in and turned to face the closing doors simultaneously. Asuka waited for Shinji to press the ground floor button, as having to press elevator buttons while she had someone else to do it for her seemed like an insult to her superiority. The private ward was closer to the ground level so the ride short. When the too exited the headquarters, they both looked around at the Geofront. Because of them, it was still here, as idea they never really had the opportunity to take it in.

Asuka was peaceful as they walked towards the last elevator that took them to the city above. She began to walk closer to Shinji, lying to herself that he was a source of warmth. Even though the seasons were beginning to return to Japan, it was still an all round summer, which made her lie almost completely flawed.

Shinji could feel Asuka brush beside him occasionally, not knowing if she was doing it on purpose, or she was light headed from her 'not' head injury, but he welcomed it either way. They walked in silence for most of the way, but both of them had questions that couldn't wait.

"Hey Asuka" Shinji began. "Why did Ritsuko need to see you so urgently?"

His tone was soft, with an almost caring feature.

Asuka had decided in the elevator that not telling him at all was the best idea, so she quickly thought up a lie.

"Ritsuko needed us to do some tests, seeing if we were still OK to pilot the EVAs in an Angel fight" She replied, turning to look at him before completing her sentence.

It made sense to Shinji, as Doctor Akagi was doing those sorts of examinations more regularly after the 12th Angel. After a noticeable pause, it was Asuka's turn.

"What happened to you in the 14th Angel fight?" She asked, not turning to face him; too busy contemplating his possible replies.

Shinji could feel Asuka's genuine concern for him, which was something rare. He troubled his mind to try and recall what had happened, and said his thoughts as they came to him.

"I remember the pain, the Angel was attacking Unit~01"

The memories flashed and darted around in his mind.

"Then, everything went black, and this blue thing appeared in front of me"

Sounds resonated, and a ringing came to his ears.

"It spoke to me"

The voice resided within him, its question vivid.

"It asked me whether I was ready, to end all pain"

The two had stopped walked, Asuka listening intently to Shinji's words. She wasn't sure what he meant, but she listened none the less, thinking he would clear things up in a moment.

"What did you say back?" She asked, her eyes still fixed on him.

Shinji closed his eyes before replying.

"I said I didn't know" He said, looking down and eyes wide in thought.

'Typical Shinji' Asuka thought. Indeed, he was, indecisive as usual, but to this, it wasn't something she blamed him for. If she had been given the same question, she wouldn't know what to say either.

"Well, did it say anything back?" She said, becoming impatient, waiting for the moment at which everything would make sense.

"It said I could return when I had the answer" Shinji replied, knowing it wouldn't satisfy Asuka.

Asuka was annoyed. She had pursued the questions, hoping for closure, or at least something interesting, but it didn't come.

"Ugh, even when the most interesting things happen, you still manage to make them boring" She said, her tone returning to normal, stern and almost aggressive. "You're back now, so whats your answer, you've had 5 weeks"

Shinji ignored her and kept walking. He liked the attention from her, but not like this. Asuka gave up with her question and walked beside him again. Time past much faster in their silence, and before long, they were at the Geofront elevator. As it began its ascent, Asuka sighed.

"You're so boring"


	5. Chapter Five, Traversal

Finally, after close to 2 months of inactivity, heres the long awaited (hopefully) 5 chapter. Here is my attempt at some serious character progression. DONT GIVE UP ON ME! I haven't given up on this Fic, and I'm back in the swing of writing it! Enjoy!

Traversal – 5

Misato returned early that morning, the permanent summer sun only just beginning to rise. The constant work she had done the night before thanks to the earlier angel battles had definitely taken it's toll, her eyes blood shot and her expression dull. She went to check on Shinji from habit. Ever since he ran away she was always unsure whether he would still be there whenever she checked. Not to her surprise, Shinji was lying on the floor, Asuka occupying his bed, something that had been occurring more often than not. Thinking beyond her physical appearance, she walked into her room and slumped onto her bed, pulling her blanket over her head. 'They are old enough to get ready for school' She thought, moments before she fell asleep.

"Shinji, get up!" Asuka yelled toward her still sleeping companion. "We'll be late for school!"

Shinji slowly awoke and glanced at the clock. Even though Asuka had completed most of her schooling in a country that starts later, and has less of an emphasis on punctuality, she still managed to beat him to wake. After a moment, he realized the time, and sprung up to prepare the meals for school. He figured Asuka could leave without him if he had the meals ready, so she wouldn't be late. He hurried, barely completing his own meal so he could get changed. He couldn't hear Asuka, or Misato, so his first impression was he was alone. The third child took his time, taking in his own thoughts. 'Why is Asuka being nice to me? Did Kaji visit her?' These, and among other thoughts darted about in his mind. 'What did I miss while I was asleep?'. Snapping out of his self~consciousness, he finished clothing himself, took his bag and left his room.

"Take your time don't you! Do you want me to be late?" Asuka screamed as Shinji came through the sliding door.

Shinji was surprised. He and Asuka usually went to school together, but he didn't think she would go to these lengths just to wait for him. 'What is Asuka up to?' He thought.

"I thought you would have left, I'm sorry!" He cried in defense of himself.

Asuka knew in her mind becoming friends with Shinji was going to help her pilot her EVA, but having to deal with him they way he is wasn't going to help her cause. 'If I don't like something, I'll change it' came the thought from Asuka's egotistical side.

"Saying sorry won't get us to class on time!" She replied, walking over to him and grabbing his arm and shoving him towards the door.

Shinji wasn't sure what she had just done was practical. She said she wanted to go, but yet she made no effort even to open the door to leave. He turned to Asuka, the obvious look of confusion enough as to ask 'What do you want from me'.

"Don't just look at me! Grow up and be a gentleman!" She yelled at him, but the confusion stayed. "Open the door for me!"

At this Shinji realised what she meant by 'be a gentleman', and open the door and stood to the side, letting Asuka past. She walked through, and turned to face him. Their faces were close, Shinji could feel Asuka's breath. Their lips were barely an inch apart, and Shinji's mind raced. 'Is she going to kiss me? She said I was boring, that's what she said last time' He thought. 'What is Asuka getting at?'.

"Thankyou, Third Child" Asuka said, a smug look appearing as she flicked his forehead. "You may make a decent person after all"

Shinji was annoyed; she was just using the natural attraction between men and women to her advantage. At first he thought being used was something he didn't like, but another thought hit him. 'Father uses me, he praises me for it. Asuka praised me'. His mind had came to a vital conclusion.

By the end of Shinji's realization, Asuka had hit the elevator service button, and the doors had opened. The thought still vivid in his mind, the two walked in. Assuming they we're going to the ground floor, Shinji leaned forward to press the button. 'Every little bit helps' He thought. Though his actions spurred the same thoughts as those when he had encountered Asuka while she slept in the NERV private ward. He paused before continuing to press the ground floor. Luckily, Asuka had other plans.

"What? Ground floor?" She exclaimed, before slapping his hand out of the way and opted to go to the basement car park. "We'll never make it on time if we walk"

Shinji immediately knew what Asuka was thinking, now noticing Misato's car keys in her hand. It was true though, they would be late, even if they ran. All of Shinji's internal survival instincts told him to leave Asuka to her deeds, but a nagging thought made him pursue Asuka. Her good moods we're rare, and he enjoyed her company.

As the doors opened, Asuka ran off towards Misato's 'spot'.

"Hey, Asuka wait up" He said, reaching out at her, as if to grab her arm even though she was well outside of arms reach. "Do you even know how to drive?"

Asuka turned to him, the exact same way she had turned to the class on her first day. Both hands holding her bag, and a vibrant smile on her face. Shinji didn't know what had put her in such a good mood, but the slight grin that her smile had turned into slowly began to reveal her motives. As she turned, a set of keys flew out from her unseen side and hit Shinji, and fell into his hands. Though his mind registered exactly what Asuka was expecting of him, the rest of him was slow to react.

"Well? Hurry up Third Child!" She said, her back turned to Shinji and facing Misato's car.

When Misato was promoted, she was able to have her car fully repaired, and even make some forward payments. Shinji could still picture her stressing after the damage the N2 mine caused on his first day working for NERV. If it had to be repaired again, Misato would bring another world of suffering to him. He looked up at Asuka, and back down to the keys. Shinji sighed as he remote unlocked the vehicle and made his way to the drivers side.

Asuka smiled. 'He's all mine' she thought. Having Shinji in the palm of her hand was going to make her life a whole lot smoother. She opened the door and climbed in. The floor of the car was littered with rubbish. Beer cans and instant noodles containers, typical 'Misato' food. She held her bag, reluctant to place it in Misato's mess, and held her legs on the seat.

When Shinji entered the vehicle, he too saw the massive mess on the floor. Still in the mindset thanks to Asuka, it was almost at automatic reaction as he began to scoop the rubbish into a bag that was also lying on the floor. It seems Misato had meant to clean up the mess, but never really got around to it. Luckily, nothing had spilled under the mess, and the smell wasn't as bad as he had anticipated. Content with his side, he went around and opened the passenger side door, and began to clean out from under Asuka's legs.

Shinji pushed himself not to stare at her legs, almost fully exposed when her skirt rose as she lifted her legs to keep them off the floor. He blushed as he was cleaning; his peripheral vision couldn't deceive him. Asuka noticed, and brought her legs in closer, making her skirt fall closer to her hips. She enjoyed teasing him, and his current situation of submission only made it more fun.

Holding his breath, Shinji hurried to finish cleaning, and finished promptly, just before Asuka began to open her thighs in spite of him. He left the car, and walked towards the closest bin.

"You're so boring" Asuka called out, only adding to her fun, and Shinji's discomfort. She knew that she would have slapped him if he had looked, and so did Shinji, but the sport was just too enjoyable to pass up.

As he was walking back, Shinji noticed Asuka looking at him through the side mirror. She saw him look at her, and looked away. He now knew something was going on. He knew Asuka was up to something; there was no way she was just naturally in a good mood. Ever since she left his room at the ward she had been acting different. He didn't really notice it when they walked home the evening before, but now it was obvious. As to what she was getting at eluded him, Shinji decided to play her little game until he could figure her out.

As he took his place at the drivers seat, he took at quick look at the controls. Compared to the EVAs, driving a car seemed like it would be an easy experience. Keys in the ignition, turned, and the car came to life. In the same way he had seen Misato drive countless times before, he shifted quickly into reverse, and sped out of the parking spot. Exactly the way Misato does it, only barely missing the other cars and the support pillars. Shinji knew it was reckless, but it was the only way he had seen how to drive.

Asuka took a deep breath as Shinji slammed the gear stick into drive and raced out the car park exit. She knew he was driving like Misato when he completely ignored indicating as he turned towards the school. She stared at him for a moment. Asuka wondered if something she had done had changed Shinji. It seemed like he had suddenly developed the backbone she had always wanted him to. The thought brought her back to the preparation for the 7th angel fight. She had wanted him, to an extent she never was able to realize; Shinji never came to her and gave her the attention she had hoped for. Her heart raced, and Asuka was unsure if it was her excitement in Shinji's change, or her adrenaline from his driving.

Shinji could see Asuka's stare, and he was as curious as her. What was she alarmed of? If it was his driving, she would have spoken her mind almost instantly. Regardless of his emotions, he had to focus on driving, as the portion of shifting was much more difficult than all the other factors together. Luckily, most of the rest of the city had already began work, and the roads were desolate, allowing Shinji to safely ignore most of the road rules.

After enduring a short time of Shinji's driving, Asuka became pale faced. The sweeping corners were beginning to have an effect. She figured this would give her a chance to test Shinji, and whether or not he had changed, or he was still as spineless as he had been all those months ago.

"Shinji, slow down" She said, leaning back in her seat. "I feel sick"

Reacting instantly, Shinji turned to look at Asuka. After a moment he noticed her white face, and began to slow down. But the first thought that came to mind was the most predominant change in Asuka he had noticed.

"You called me Shinji..." He said, his tone soft has he slowed the car to a standstill.

Asuka noticed her own sudden change. She had been calling him 'Third Child' all morning; it was unlike her to refer to him by his first name. An impulse inside her instructed her to retract into a defensive shell, but Shinji's reply didn't answer her questions. She didn't know if he stopped because she had control over him, or he was reacting to her calling him by his first name. She ignored her impulse and pursued her answer.

"We're going to be late!" She screamed at Shinji as she leaned over and thrust her foot onto the accelerator, trying to stay conscious of his reaction.

The car revved, but remained stationary. On the other side, Shinji sat and analyzed his companions reaction. She was watching him intently, and her motives became obvious. Asuka blushed as she sat back down into her seat, her legs still split between hers and Shinji's foot space. Neither of the two made a move until Asuka looked down, avoiding her fellow pilot's gaze. Shinji smiled as he leaned over, placing an arm around Asuka's seat, and the other between her thighs.

Asuka put her arms to her side, and clasped her seat, as if to brace herself. She brought her head up to face him, and took a deep breath as she realized how close he had come. Her heart was throbbing, and she couldn't keep her breathing constant. Asuka arched her back as an unknown sensation ran down her spine, her breasts more predominant over her midrift.. Instantly She looked back up to him, and scanned his face, looking into his eyes, down to his lips, and then slowly returning. The feeling all throughout Asuka's body was unlike one she had ever experienced. She closed her eyes, revealing the perfect moment as to whatever Shinji was planning. Her emotions weren't helping, leaving her unknowing as to what to expect.

Shinji could feel her reaction, and a grin appeared on his face, something Asuka was not used to seeing. He leaned closer still, bringing their lips to an unmeasurable distance and his hand from between her thighs to her waist. Asuka reacted, arching her back more, and breathing more heavily.

"Who's boring now?" Shinji whispered, as he lightly flicked her forehead.

His devious plan now complete, Shinji returned back to his seat. Though his actions were ill advised by most of his senses, the thrill he could see he had put Asuka through was a worthy punishment. He shifted the car back up, and returned to promptly getting them to school on time. The time they had saved from commandeering Misato's car had been taken up by his little venture, and were now pressed for time. Still in the same mindset he had been when they left the apartment building, he sped off, and took the final turn towards their school.

Asuka had brought her legs back together. She was angry at him for how he had played her, but his actions had given her a more than satisfactory answer. Something she did made Shinji change, something snapped inside him. She knew that the same approach wouldn't work twice, and she was running out of ideas. But he stresses became less evident as she stepped out of Misato's car outside the school. As always, her class would ask her where she had been, make jokes are her and Shinji, and her lecturer would repeatedly tell his story of 2nd impact, but she needed to talk to Hikari.

'"This needs two female minds" She said to herself, regaining her composure, and walking off towards class.

The entire remaining class stared at Shinji as he walked into the room. It took him a moment to realize, but he hadn't been to class in the final 2 weeks of last term, and was AWOL for the entire break. Though, he never really missed much content, and it never bothered him. NERV wouldn't take his education without some sort of plan for him after the angels were all eliminated. Hikari opened the day just as Shinji made it to his seat, with her usual 'Rise, Bow, Sit'.

After class had been released for their meal break, Shinji sat alone for much of their time out. He ate in silence, not wondering why. Though it still pained him, the class obviously knew it was by his hand Toji Suzuhara was dead and gone. He was looking around trying to avert his thoughts when Kensuke approached him.

"We heard what happened to Toji.." He began, only to see Shinji's dismay

"I wasn't in control, Kensuke" Shinji replied, his tone not unlike the way he had confronted Asuka about the same subject. "It was weeks ago, you think I hadn't hurt myself enough?"

Kensuke wasn't ready for his reply, and was silenced. It was true, it had been close to 5 weeks since the angel fight, but everyone else wasn't ready for Shinji's return. They both sat is silence for a moment, before the optimism began to return.

"Asuka said that you were in a coma for like 5 weeks" Kensuke stated, his voice revealing he was back to his normal self. "It's a good thing you didn't stay that way!"

Shinji didn't reply, and Kensuke got the message that he was still insecure about the subject. Another moment of silence past, and Shinji's remaining friend brought up the courage to attempt conversing again.

"So how are you and the ladies going?" he said, a smile appearing as he nudged Shinji.

"What do you mean?" He replied, relieved the subject had changed.

Kensuke uttered a slight laugh before replying.

"You live with two beautiful women, you can't tell me that not a great thing!" He replied, the mood significantly lightened.

Shinji smiled. It was true, but it was made even more interesting thanks to his encounter with Asuka earlier in the day.

"To be honest Kensuke.." He said, glancing towards Asuka.

"It's going great"


	6. Chapter Six, Terminus

Here is the not-so-long awaited 6th chapter. AxS fans will have a bit of their wishes answered in this chapter =D I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Terminus – 6

"And then he just flicked me!" Asuka screamed, still bewildered by Shinji's actions earlier in the day.

During the break, Asuka had sought Hikari's advice, not knowing how to interpret Shinji's actions. After informing her of the entire mornings ventures, Hikari sat wide eyed at Asuka's story.

"It does seem unlike Shinji" She began, still filtering what she had just been told. "But you know him better than any of us, and you live with him."

It was true. Asuka spent more time with Shinji that anyone else she knew of. He was cut off from his father, he hadn't seen Rei since the 13th Angel attack, and she was with him more than Misato was. This realization caused Asuka to become frustrated. She couldn't come to understand why she couldn't see through him, even though he was her puppet only minutes before. After taking a seat again beside Hikari, she formulated a reply.

"Why Hikari? What am I going to have to do?" She said, a hint of a slight whine in her tone, not unlike the childish way she often spoke in to Kaji.

The class rep looked down for a moment, obvious to Asuka that she was in deep thought. Asuka felt a warmth inside. She was joyous that she had friends that cared enough about her to help her, even in such petty situations. Hikari took her time, during which Asuka took in her surroundings. Most of the rest of the class had left Tokyo~3, most likely because of the Angels. She didn't blame them, there were many casualties that NERV always managed to cover up, and the constant strain on families would be tremendous. For a moment, Asuka's mind wandered, no longer focusing on her situation with Shinji. She herself had caused just as much suffering as Shinji, and even that doll, Rei. More than once the Geofront had sustained damage thanks to her, and the deaths of those taking refuge there had gone unnoticed. Though, unlike Shinji's actions, it hadn't occurred so close to home.

"I can't think of anything, Asuka" Hikari said, alerting her companion back to their situation. "You may just have to ask him."

This thought brought back out the Asuka that's more widely known.

"The great Asuka Langley Sohryu doesn't ask!" She replied, her powerful stance reemerging.

To this, Hikari frowned. Though she was likely to get the answer she wanted, especially with Shinji in his current state, the tenderness of the events that occurred demanded a more subtle approach. But before she could voice her recommendation, Asuka had already run off to find Shinji.

It didn't take long for Asuka to locate the other pilot; she knew the final stooges never left the class room during breaks, and as she predicted, Shinji was in his place talking to Kensuke. Asuka smiled, knowing exactly what she wanted, and exactly how to get it. Hands on her hips, she walked up to Shinji, and waited for him to react, looking down her nose and smiling. Kensuke, noticed first.

"Oh hey Asuka, I didn't quite see you without your horns" He said, void of all sincerity.

But Asuka had her mind set on Shinji, and payed no notice to what he said. When Shinji looked up, she initiated her interrogation. Lifting her dominant leg, she kicked Shinji to the wall, and held him there, still sitting in his chair.

"What the hell, Asuka!" He cried out, his pain obvious to those watching.

Quickly realizing the importance of her arrival, Kensuke walked away, avoiding eye contact with the fiery redhead. Still smiling, Asuka held her pose with her heel in his chest. When Shinji looked into her eyes, she began.

"Why did you do that to me this morning?" She asked, leaning so far forward it gave Shinji a clean veiw of her bust.

The situation she had put him in made it hard for Shinji to think. He was split between the pain in his chest and the relief in his eyes. Her red hair shining from the window's sunlight coupled with her posture wasn't a sore sight. He knew if he was to enjoy the remainder of his life, he'd best answer, but his heart and instinct told him to hide. He paused, and slowed his breathing before answering.

"You called me 'Shinji'" He replied as he looked away.

Asuka's eyes widened, and her pressure on Shinji loosened. When did he notice? Why was that significant?

"Answer the question!" She yelled, reapplying her force.

Shinji knew she wouldn't had accepted the truth, so revealing his second motive was his last resort.

"I knew you were toying with me" He replied, cringing in pain. "So I only returned to you what you deserve".

Again, the red head's eyes had widened, and removed her heel from Shinji's chest, allowing him to recuperate and breathe properly. Not only had he given a plausible answer, but he had also answered her previous question. Something inside Shinji snapped, and a spine magically appeared to replace it. She stepped back and landed on the nearest chair. What was she going to do? The feelings she had always harbored were only chained by her visage, and were at Shinji's whim with nothing but an ounce of initiative. She was still unsure of what changed him, but as long as he was in this mindset, he was hers. Her body became hot, and her head filled with memories and thoughts.

Was he able to give her the attention Kaji had always neglected? Was he able to give her the sense of belonging and worth she had always wanted? Asuka needed to be alone with her thoughts, and somewhere she could shake the gut feeling that persisted. She got up, nearly tripping as she went, and left the room.

Shinji could see what ever he had done had a great impact on Asuka mentally. He wanted to go after her, as the questioning of his feelings for her arose within him, but if she wanted to speak to him now, she wouldn't have left. He knew inside he advanced on her because she revealed her true self from her rejecting exterior; the only thing the ever stopped him. He was no longer afraid of being pushed away by Asuka. But questions burned inside him, and the only other person Asuka would talk to was Hikari. He also figured she'd be the first person Asuka would go to, so he disregarded the thought to talk to her, and gestured that is was safe for Kensuke to return, who had been watching the entire encounter from the other side of the classroom.

"What was that all about?" Kensuke questioned, obviously not hearing the more crucial parts of the conversation.

Shinji didn't need to lie to Kensuke, after all, beside Asuka and Misato, he was the only other person he was close to..

"I made a move on Asuka this morning, on the way to school." He replied.

"With the devil?" Kensuke continued, gaving Shinji a look of obvious disapproval.

The feeling to defend Asuka emerged, but Shinji was aware, and subdued it.

"She's different to the person you see.." He began, turning his head to look at the door Asuka had left through moments before.

"You love her!" Kensuke exclaimed, leaning back in his chair. "I saw the way you looked at her".

Shinji thought for a moment. Did he really love her? Was it just a lust for her flawless body that drew him to her? Was the moment that morning really spurred by his feelings for her inner self?

"I don't know, Kensuke" He said, his eyes still fixed on the doorway.

"Shes beautiful, I'll give you that" Kensuke started. "But that woman is the most arrogant and egotistical person ever conceived!"

Shinji returned his look of disapproval. Kensuke hadn't understood what he had meant when he said shes different to the person he sees.

"You're playing with fire Shinji, and you're gonna get burned" He finished, with only concern for his friend.

He knew the dangers of his actions, but Shinji didn't care; the word 'fire' only reminded him of her gorgeous, long red hair.

Asuka returned to Hikari, in a negligibly worse state than when she had left, and she noticed that her stability since then had crumbled. After returning to Hikari's side, neither of them spoke for a decent time; Asuka still unsure of herself, and Hikari unsure of Asuka. The EVA pilot was still breathing heavily, but she slowly regained her composure. More minutes past before Hikari resurrected the conversation.

"Did you get the answer you were looking for?" She asked, still aware of Asuka's current status.

Hikari's words snapped Asuka out of her trance, and her reply came quickly.

"Shinji has changed, I guess" She began, her eyes wandering. "Hes the person he always needed to be".

Asuka's answer left Hikari wondering. How could he have just changed, completely out of the blue, to become the person he 'needed to be'?

"What do you mean, Asuka?" Hikari said, wanting answers as much as the red head.

But Asuka didn't answer. As much as she knew she could count on Hikari, a part of her didn't understand the circumstances enough herself to be able to explain it. Though she sat in silence with her thoughts, Hikari issued looks of confusion, implying she wanted an answer. Asuka didn't mind at first, but it slowly became irritable. Luckily, the break ended, and class resumed before she had to answer, much to the class rep's disappointment.

The class past quickly, as both pilots were lost in their own thoughts and unable to be distracted, or sent to the brink of insanity by their Sensei. Asuka had been pestered by Hikari over instant messenger about answering her question, but she managed to ignore most of it, sometimes returning one word answers. Shinji spent his time still contemplating his 'love' for Asuka. He knew how people could be blind to much of someones negative characteristics if they loved them, and it made sense from what Kensuke insisted. As Hikari closed the school day, he questioned again if it was genuine, or just some pathetic euphoria. Shinji noticed Asuka leave the room in a hurry, but didn't question why. He, as always, was the last to leave, taking his time to pack up and talking to Kensuke about the lesson, and his obsession with the EVAs.

When Shinji made it back down to Misato's car, an unexpected sight almost forced his survival instinct into overdrive; both Misato and Asuka were standing in front of the vehicle, arms crossed. The look on Misato's face wasn't welcoming, and neither was Asuka's, but due to the fact they had commandeered the car, he was much more conscious of Misato's look of discontent.

He quickly devised a chain of excuses, but rather offensively than to defend himself.

"Have a nice drive?" Misato said calmly, opening the backseat door for Shinji as he came closer. "Hop in".

Shinji wasn't sure of what was going on, but the idea that Asuka had explained came to mind. He climbed into the car, as did Asuka and Misato. Immediately upon seating, Asuka fastened her seatbelt, which sent Shinji thinking again. He figured it was because of their guardians driving habits, and he followed suit. As Misato too entered the car, Shinji realized neither of the backseat belts were functioning correctly, but before he could inform her, Misato rammed the car into reverse, and spun around to face the exit gates.

Shinji realized after slamming his face into the back of Misato's seat exactly what he was in for. As Misato quickly shifted into drive and drove out of the park, throwing Shinji back into his seat, jarring his neck. In the same fashion, she went around the corner, nearly sending the car onto two wheels, regardless of the momentum shift of Shinji being flung into the door, and hitting his head on the glass of the window. Luckily, for the moment it was a straight drive, giving Shinji a moment to brace himself, gripping both door handles. Misato took the time to converse.

"So, how did she drive?" She asked, hoping to calm Shinji into releasing the door handles.

But he didn't answer. Shinji knew from Misato's previous actions not to lower his guard, and due to the speed they were traveling, it was a good idea as the set of corners that had made Asuka ill were closing in fast. He braced himself, only to feel the car move quietly around the bend. Misato had looked in the rear view and had seen Shinji's stance, thus making it futile to use the situation as punishment. Asuka's current state may have also had something to add, as her pale face had returned. Misato began to drive at an acceptable speed around the corners, and Shinji lowered his arms and sat down, safely assuming his punishment was over. The car pulled into Misato's car space, and the three exited the vehicle; Asuka stumbling, Shinji rubbing his neck and Misato smiling, content with he measures.

"Since you cleaned out my car, I'll let you off easily.." She began. "But if you so much think about taking my car again, the angels will be the least of your worries".

Misato waited at the elevator for the teens, smiling. As they walked over, Shinji motioned to help Asuka, who was still unstable.

"I don't need help" She said, an obvious lie to Shinji.

Asuka didn't know whether he had misheard her, or he was helping her walk straight by free will, but it was comforting to her to know Shinji really had changed. She was hesitant at first, but settled into Shinji's arms as they walked around to the elevator doors. As the came in, Misato's smile left and a look of disbelief came across her face. She had always know of both pilot's 'hedgehog dilemma', and of any two people she had known, these were the least likely to open up to each other. The teens stood with their back to Misato, neither of them saying a word as they began their ascent.

'What has happened between them?' Misato thought, having to current memory to serve as an explanation. To her, they had left the ward in a fit of rage, and then, despite having a small amount of encouragement from Ritsuko, became soul mates over night. Maybe it was something Rei had said to him in the ward? Though she too had questions for Shinji, she let the two be with their own thoughts as they entered the apartment. Besides, it wasn't something Shinji was likely to just open up about.

Shinji escorted Asuka to her room, and left promptly. Misato watched him as he entered the kitchen, filled a glass of water, and then returned to Asuka. Without one word of exchange, Shinji came back out to the kitchen and sat at the table. Misato saw this as the perfect time to question him.

"What's going on between you and Asuka?" She asked, seating herself opposite Shinji. "You both seem to have changed suddenly".

It wasn't a secret, they had both changed, but Shinji didn't believe his own explanation enough to explain it to his guardian.

"I'm not sure, Misato" He replied in all honesty.

"Was it something Rei said to you in the ward?" She continued.

Shinji lifted his head.

"Rei?" He questioned. "Only you and Asuka came to me before Asuka and I left".

Misato sat up to think. Rei was lying? This wasn't a usual characteristic of her, one so uncommon she automatically began to think of exterior motives. There was yet another loose end about NERV, one which Misato was determined to expose.

Asuka lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her nausea made her question if the day had just been a figment of her imagination, and she was still sleeping. But her experience with dreams where they ended as soon as she became conscious of them, and she was not about to contest her own judgment. She drank the glass of water Shinji had brought her, which spurred thoughts within her mind. Shinji brought her inside, and cared for her. Not Kaji, not Misato, not the tiresome third child. Shinji. Moma had returned, Shinji had returned, and the sheer thought of her life falling into place returned the warmth she had felt in the car with Shinji. As she turned to the side, the wound on the back of her head pained her, and she was surprised no one else had noticed since its birth. Only Shinji knew, and she knew that he had concern for her when he saw. She knew by his actions that he still had questions too. They both owed each other answers about their behavior, and Asuka figured she wouldn't be likely to get hers unless she gave Shinji's his in return. Part of her blamed the thought on just a way to get what she wanted, and she lied to herself that this was true. But the side she had let go of to go Shinji knew; she just wanted to talk to him.

Being lost in her thoughts, Asuka had limited her movement, and the mental exhaustion of the day had begun to take its toll. It wasn't long before she had drifted off to sleep. No memories haunted her tonight.

Shinji glanced at the clock as he finished preparing their meal. 7:34pm; it had been nearly 4 hours since they had returned home, of which Asuka had been asleep for most of. He had momentarily returned to check up on her out of impulse. Misato had neglected to go shopping again, so the ramen noodles he had prepared were sub his usual standard, but he didn't blame her, after all, they did steal her car. As he brought the bowls to the kitchen table, he gestured towards Misato.

"Misato, could you go and wake Asuka up?" He said as he placed the ramen on the table.

Despite Misato still showing a bit of hostility for hijacking her car, he had cleaned her car, cooked dinner, and taken care of Asuka albeit her asking, so she figured waking sleeping beauty was the least she could do. As Misato walked in, Asuka rolled over, awoken to see her. With Misato having said a word, Asuka stood up and exited the room.

'Must have smelt Shinji's cooking' Misato thought to herself whilst uttering a giggle. It was common knowledge Shinji wasn't the worst of cooks, and much better than her.

As Asuka walked out, spare the food and Shinji, her eyes focused on a familiar object at the table. She sat down, and glanced over at Shinji, who was smiling intently. Realizing what he had done, she too smiled as she picked up the fork and smiled back at him. Before Misato had sat down, Asuka had already begun eating quickly, much more familiar with the use of a fork over chopsticks. Shinji knew she was grateful, despite neither of them speaking a word since they had returned. It would have been months since Asuka had eaten with a fork, and the small gesture reminded her of home. After seeing her thanks, Shinji too started eating, and Misato started after returning form the fridge with another beer, making 5 for the evening.

Before long, and before Misato had time to finish her beer, Asuka was finished. She returned her bowl to the sink, an act usually unseen by Shinji and Misato. She was truly grateful for what Shinji had done for her all afternoon.

"Thank you, for everything, Shinji" She said, her tone much softer than usual, as she returned to her room, still tired from the days ventures.

Unknowing in her state, Misato joked.

"One up Shinji" She said, unable to hide her smile. "Third child no more".

Shinji smiled at her in return, for it was what Asuka had done that let him see the side of Asuka he had always wanted.

"Anyway, I have to go to work later tonight" Misato began and she sat up and started walking to her room. "I'm going to try get a bit of sleep".

Shinji frowned at her.

"After 5 drinks, you expect your going to be able to get there safely?" He replied jokingly. "You sure your going to be able to drive?"

Misato spun around to face him and gave him the same smile she did as when she opened the door for him at the school.

"6, and if you try and drive again, I'll neuter you" She said, giving a quick wink before slumping on her bed.

Shinji wasn't sure if she was serious or not, but for the time being he thought it would be best not to drive to school for the next couple months or so. He sat up from the table, and walked over to begin cleaning up from the meal. As he didn't cook much, there wasn't much work to be done, and he finished before the clock struck 8:00pm. He left the lights on, hoping it would help Misato revert back to a conscious state when she awoke to go to work, before retiring to his room, ready to sleep.

It was not long after 10pm when Asuka was awoken again by Misato on her way to work. She got up an visited the bathroom. Upon returning to her room, the anxious questions inside her kept her up. Though sleeping in was not an option, she didn't want to have to wait to get her answers. 'We might not get another chance' Asuka thought to herself, not knowing exactly how much truth was behind it. In pursuit of herself, she stood back up and opened the sliding door into Shinji's room. Instantly should could hear the feint 'click' of him turning off his SDAT, and obviously pretend to sleep. She smiled as she walked over and lay in front of Shinji, face to face, in wait for him to open his eyes. She waited until she was nearly falling asleep herself, and to the point where she couldn't wait any longer.

"Shinji" She whispered, still in the same position she had been lying. "I know you're awake."

To this Shinji opened his eyes, and avoided looking directly down Asuka's shirt, as he knew from previous experience that she didn't wear a bra when she slept.

"It's the middle of the night, Asuka" He replied. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to ask you something earlier," She started as she sat up and crossed her legs. "But Misato had came and I didn't have the chance."

Shinji sat up in the same fashion as Asuka had, and stared into her eyes. Old habits die slowly, and he wanted to make sure this wasn't some joke. After first studying her, he came to the conclusion that she was sincere, and really did have something to ask.

"What did you want to know?" Shinji asked, rubbing his neck; still aching from the car ride home.

Asuka took a deep breathe, and searched for a way to ask.

"What really happened.." She began, placing her hands in her lap. "In the car on the way to school?"

Shinji knew this was going to be a likely question of hers, and he had the same sort of query to ask her.

"After the entire morning of calling me 'Third Child', you called me Shinji.." He replied, leaving a pause before continuing. "I realized there was a part of you inside that wasn't the cold exterior everyone else saw."

"Go on, that can't be all" Asuka encouraged, as she could tell this wasn't the whole story.

"I also wanted to return the favor for you flicking me earlier" Shinji continued, smiling.

Though she was really only looking for confirmation, all of Asuka's questions had been answered, something no one had never really entitled her to her entire life. She smiled; Shinji was like a key to her chains, a metaphor she had often used for the shell of her visage. She wanted to throw herself to him. An energy inside her had been released, and it burnt throughout her. Her lips trembled, and she could feel a warmth between her thighs. Years of bent up emotion and recent attraction was almost overflowing out of her, and the only thing stopping her was wondering if he would catch her.

"My turn now" Shinji stated

Caught in her feelings, Asuka forgot that Shinji would have something he would like to ask as well. Shinji opened his mouth to speak, but his efforts where futile.

Before words could be formed, Asuka lips where pressed against his own, and her arms thrown around him.


	7. Chapter Seven, Axiom

Again, sorry for leaving the update till late. In the same vein as Anno, I'm intending to leave a little bit to the readers imagination, but I assure you, the story is still going somewhere, and Im slowly working my way down my list.

This chapter is shorter because I need to get a couple of things done and done that are vital for the story, and this entails the first.

But, though I have a set list of events that are going to occur, let me know what you want to read about. Thats the advantage of having a lenient storyline! As always, I hope you enjoy the latest addition to TBC.

Axiom – 7

For once Misato had purpose as she walked into her office at NERV headquarters. Though two hours' sleep and an inappropriate amount of alcohol was still having it's obvious impacts, her intentions were not clouded. She strained her currently inept body and mind as she sorted through files, reports, and computer databases, searching for anything about Rei and her current whereabouts. NERV had employed a team to keep a watchful eye on each of the children, as well as the possible pilots in class 8a, but it was obvious to Misato that they had been focusing their efforts on Shinji and Asuka, with their last report being logged only hours ago.

It was closing on 1:00am when Misato found her first trace of Rei. She had last used her NERV security card leaving the complex, after their meeting with Ritsuko earlier in the week. In her instability, Misato felt it was enough; 'she may have been escorted' she thought.

"I'll look at it again when I'm not so tired" Misato reassured herself as she began to return the files to their previous locations.

She dropped many of them, ignoring any possible clichés that the exact file she needed might have been the one she had just lost; she knew life wasn't a movie. Her task had nearly been completed when she came along the box of files she had procured from Ritsuko's office. Knowing Ritsuko wouldn't have mind if she had asked or not, Misato quietly made her way back down towards her colleagues workspace. At this time of night, there were many armed personnel guarding their respective important locations, with hers and Ritsuko's office included. NERV had thousands of documents regarding the EVAs and much of Japan's military forces, an obvious disadvantage should they fall into the wrong hands. On her way, Misato past countless other employees' offices, all of which she didn't know, nor what they were being payed to do. She thought they could have been the 2nd Division work quarters, those in charge of protecting the children, or simply those to produce the files the guardians provide. A hint of soberness returning, she thought of checking NERV's budget; cutting back of some things and people they could do without couldn't hurt. Smiling a little, Misato came to Ritsuko's office; if there were less people to pay, maybe she would get another raise. She knocked on the office door.

After a moment, and no answer, Misato knocked again. She repeated the similar process a few times before accepting Ritsuko was either asleep or away working on the Magi. Sighing, Misato turned around to leave.

In a strike of luck and disdain, Ritsuko was standing there at gun point.

"You will tell me who sent you here, or you will become another casualty NERV will successfully cover up" She said sternly, her grip on the handgun growing tighter.

Misato was stunned, not knowing what to say or what had gotten into her university friend. In her current situation, she reverted to the truth.

"No one sent me, I came to return some folders, Ritsuko" Misato replied after taking a deep breath. "What has gotten into you?"

Without a reply, Ritsuko walked up to and pushed Misato towards her office, opening the door with her gun hand, careful not to discharge the weapon. After glancing outside to look for unknowing spies, Ritsuko closed the door behind them, and quickly sat down before her computer.

"I'm sorry for being prude, Misato" She began as her fingers became a blur on the keyboard. "But there was something I couldn't let any responsible figure find out about."

'She's getting faster' Misato thought as she stared at her friends typing skills, completely ignoring her comment about her being irresponsible.

Misato placed her files back where she had found them, wondering where Ritsuko had been when she had come and got them. But by the way she had been acting, Misato figured all would be explained in due time. She looked over to the computer screen; there was a wireframe three dimensional blueprint of NERV headquarters.

"As you can see, as I am now, I was going through these blueprints of NERV" Ritsuko began. "Thanks to my connection with the MAGI, I was able to get the full print, regardless of my security clearance."

It was true, as Misato recognized the locations her card had permit her, and the probable locations that Ritsuko was restricted to. To her amazement, much of NERV were made up of massive rooms in a catacomb like pattern; locations she did not have access to. Misato made the connection to where Ritsuko was when she had come to get the files.

"Where have you been, Ritsuko?" Misato asked bluntly, her intentions clear.

Ritsuko replied with only pointing on her screen.

"I'll show you" She said as she grabbed her lab coat, and led Misato by hand.

Against her force, Misato motioned towards the door, assuming they were taking the generic route to what seemed to be a set of large chambers Ritsuko had pointed out on the computer screen. Looking back at Ritsuko, Misato realized the generic route was obviously not the way Ritsuko wanted to take, as she began to climb into a service shaft on the edge of the room. Following her lead, Misato too edged herself into the shaft.

"Risuko," Misato began and she squeezed into the small space between the walls of the office and the opposite room. "Why?"

"NERV has this place under heavy surveillance" She replied quickly, as if time was of the essence. "If they don't see us leave, then we are still there."

Realizing the truth in what Ritsuko had said, Misato placed all trust in her friend. It was obvious that in her most recent travels, she had come across something she wasn't supposed to. And by her reaction to seeing her outside the office pointed out to Misato that it was something important. The two women weaved between the rooms before they came to a stop at what seemed to be an elevator shaft.

"What now Ritsuko?" Misato whispered, not really wanting to know.

Without replying, Ritsko reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small device littered with buttons; a control to something. After looking for a moment, the scientist pressed a combination of the buttons, and a whirring noise began to echo down the shaft. As the noise grew louder, Misato saw the elevator move down the shaft in front of her, and before she had time to react to Ritsuko's bizarre actions, she had grabbed her arm, and pulled her onto the top of the elevator.

"What the hell has gotten into you Ritsuko?" Misato asked, raising her voice over the noise.

Ritsuko didn't reply, but simply put her index finger to her lips, gesturing to Misato to be quiet. Both of them sat down on the top of the elevator as it descended deeper and deeper in NERV headquarters. It was dark, but there were a few lights in the passing service shafts, not unlike the one the two had escaped into, trying to avert the NERV security gaze. Misato looked around. There were no security cameras in any of the shafts, or attached above the elevator. It wasn't like the organization to leave any place not under constant observation, especially if what Ritsuko had to show was really of great importance. Both of them smiled as the echoes of impatient employees came from outside the passing elevator doors, obviously annoyed at the fact the elevator was definitely taking its time. Though the conditions were suboptimal, Misato felt comfort. It had taken her back to her university days with Ritsuko, and a few happy memories along with it. And thoughts of Kaji. She hadn't seen her long since ex~boyfriend for quite a while, even though they both worked for NERV, though his job title eluded her. It was only natural of her to show her interest.

"Hey, Ritsuko" Misato began, almost pretending it was like a slumber party she had never had. "Have you seen Kaji lately?"

Ritsuko was not surprised of her question. Whenever they convened not under strict work conditions, the topic of' 'Kaji' always happened to come up.

"Not as of late, no" She replied, looking through the passing shafts. "No doubt he's passing work to care for his watermelons."

Her answer was anticipated, but the second phase of her reply was unexpected for Misato. Though her and Kaji had spent a lot of time together outside of work, she had never thought of him as much of a gardener. But the thought past over time. Looking at her watch, Misato wondered what exactly was hiding this deep inside NERV; they had been descending for no less than 15 minutes without a single stop. Before either of them had a chance to 'speak too soon' the elevator came to a halt.

"Take that shaft on the left" Ritusko said, pointing to one of the dark paths leading off the elevator roof.

Misato lead the venture, being the closest to the chosen shaft. It was just as tight as the shaft they had left the office through, giving the impression they had been built at the same time. She wondered what could have possibly been in mind when the complex was created. Her thoughts were still wandering when Ritsuko spoke again.

"Crouch down, and go through that vent on your right" She ordered, names not needed between the two.

Instinctively, Misato balanced herself on her hands and knees, and began to crawl through the vent. But her moment of subconsciousness was short lived, as an eerie orange light began to shine out from the end of the vent. She turned back to look at Ritsuko, who only looked back up ahead, as if to say 'you'll see'. Both of them continued to the end, at which Misato used her arms to push the end of the vent through.

'Such capable security measures' She thought sarcastically as she exited the vent. But again, her attitude change dramatically as she looked around the room.

"Now you know" Ritsuko said, looking down at her feet as she erected herself.

Shinji lay with his eyes closed, wondering what he had done to deserve this good fortune. Defeating the angels was a formality, and didn't require such an extravagant reward, and all he had done was acts of honesty. He thought through the nights actions, sensations and feelings. He knew many of the people that knew him would have condoned them, but to him, the only thing that mattered was that he had relieved Asuka, and allowed her to be joyous. He slowly recalled the events leading up to her coming into his room, and along with what she had told him afterwards, it slowly began to fall into place within his mind. Though his position wasn't the greatest one to sleep in, having Asuka beside him was not an opportunity he was going to give up easily, no matter how simple it now seemed. She stirred in her sleep, holding him tighter and closer to her; a source of comfort and warmth. It wouldn't bother her now, and Shinji sure didn't mind. With the little head space he had, he looked around the room. Asuka's shirt had landed near the door, and his on the other side of the room. Her chest was bare, and pressed up against his, but welcoming to both of them. For once, Shinji didn't mean to stare at her bust, for in a way he already knew Asuka's breasts, and instead looked to her face. She breathed slowly, as the summer moonlight shined on them both from the open door to the balcony. Second impact had forced a constant summer, and the coolness from outside was always welcomed.

Every so often a breeze would roll in, sending a chill up Asuka's spine. Her nipples would react to the cold, erecting and drawing Shinji's attention. But rather than eye them like he would have normally, he'd pull the blanket over her shoulders, and held her closer until her chills subsided. And just as often as usual, she would utter words in her sleep, but with a brighter outlook. She didn't cry, or call for her Moma, she'd smile and say his name, something that tortured Shinji inside. Not being able to reply to her calls was now a fear, and something he felt he would always dread.

With his little head space, he glanced at his clock. 2:37am. 'School today' Shinji thought, nearly laughing out aloud. He didn't care, for the first time in his life, he was content. It was no less a burden than a privilege. He thought of Kensuke's reaction should he let the night's events slip out in conversation, and Shinji couldn't help but grin. Out of nothingness, he didn't care if he had to pilot Unit~01 again, for he knew she would be at his side, just as capable as him.

The raw emotion still inside of him wanted nothing more than to wake Asuka and embrace her, but he knew she needed her sleep, as much, if not more than any woman, and his instincts were made to wait. He too was tired, but Shinji decided it was worth it to see that Asuka had as much rest as possible. Just as if she had heard his thoughts, Asuka turned over, her back to Shinji's chest. Relieved by his companions actions, Shinji put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, her body heat quite welcome. His comfort now apparent, it wasn't long before Shinji fell asleep beside Asuka.

It was a full moon, and to Shinji, there was a no better time to be falling in love.

"You love her?"

The voice echoed throughout Shinji's head, though, he knew it wasn't a dream; something more. He was conscious and aware of it's presence.

"Yes, she is wonderful" He replied to the voice, unaware of its origin.

A blue light with a glowing red core appeared in front of Shinji from the edge of his mind. The light flickered like fire, but much less violently, like water coming from a spring.

"Why do you love her?

Shinji quickly realized the origin of the glowing figure, but response took time.

"I don't know" He replied, his answer most sincere.

The light burned brighter for a moment, as is contemplating it's reply. In comparison to Shinji, the fire was colossal, easily twenty times his height and as bright as the sun, though it didn't harm to stare at.

"Does she suffer?"

This encounter with what was inside Unit~01 was difficult for Shinji; he simply didn't know what to say, or what to expect.

"We all do, it's just how humans are" He replied, beginning to question the light's intentions within his mind.

"We can end all suffering, and we can bring you together for eternity"

The light had presented this ideal before, but unlike the previous times, Shinji had found his reply.

"She ended my suffering"


	8. Chapter Eight, Realization

I have returned from my slumber. Since you are my readers, I think I owe you all an apology, and an explanation. Simply, I have been distracted with family and personal issues, but, with the release of the Rebuild Series in my country, I have again seen the light, and I'm back in black.

If you are one of those that were into it and then I let you down by going AWOL, I honestly felt like shit leaving this unfinished, and I feel like I've betrayed some of you.

So, here is the chapter I owed you all many MONTHS ago.

Realization – 8

Before Misato floated three dark figures inside the LCL filled tube. Her knowledge of the situation, allowed to to explain it to herself in only one way. A sickness arose in her, knowing full well what Ritsuko had come to have shown her.

"These are the final three angels" Misato stated, shocked and in awe of what was before her.

Ritsuko exited the vents too, and took her place standing beside her companion. A slight feeling of power welled within her; the idea that she knew more about Misato's profession than she did acted in forcing a smug smile to replace the serious one across her face.

"Well, these are three of the final four, at least as far as we have been lead to believe" She replied, also still gazing on the powerful and catalytic immature Angels in front of her. "Peculiar beasts, aren't they?"

Misato turned and faced her almost amazed friend.

"What do you mean peculiar? I'm not an expert you know, I'm just a tactician" She replied to Ritsuko's bizarre rhetorical question.

Ritsuko walked forward to put her hand on the glass, almost as if she were trying to communicate with the malicious entities. The embryos stirred in the LCL, similar to how the eighth Angel reacted to their attempt to capture it, which caused Misato to become quite uneasy, knowing that what was being contained in the LCL could easily bring the end of all of mankind.

"When the angels develop rapidly, it's not the same as a human being simply developing in the womb" Ritsuko finally replying to Misato. "They don't really 'develop' or 'mature' at all."

Misato didn't quite understand where the scientist was heading. She knew that the Angels don't just appear out of nowhere. They lay dormant, waiting for 'something' to disturb and awaken them, and in doing so, they rapidly grow to their 'adult' stage. But the idea that they might have been adult all along eluded her.

"I found it hard to believe at first" Ritsuko continued, obviously noticing Misato's bewildered look. "But they evolve, from an entity roughly the size of a human being, to the massive beasts we commonly know them as."

"What do you mean evolve?" Misato replied, still uneasy, and become annoyed at her ambiguity.

"They change and adapt" Ritsuko began. "They go through multiple 'test' stages on their way to their adult form, testing their current form within the condition that surround them, similar to the way the 13th Angel adapted to become a viscous liquid rather than gaseous form we first encountered it as."

Misato was still unsure of where this was going to lead, but she knew that Ritsuko would be telling her this here if it wasn't vastly above both of their pay grades, and the reason why would require this knowledge. The time was closing in on 3:00am, but due to the situation, Misato's, and presumable Ritsuko's bodies both ensured that neither of them were left inattentive.

"As a result of these changes, we assume that the Angels may leaves traces of its previous form; parts that it no longer needs" She continued, her eyes now fixated on the glass tube. "So if these three are still embryos, than what do you assume 'that' is?"

Surprised, Misato walked towards the tube, her thoughts unwavering. As she approached, a smaller dark figure appeared beside the three embryonic Angels. It was long and thin, tapering to a point; like a tail, or spinal cord. It was motionless, spare the reactions to the slight ripples being caused by the quivering embryos. Her hand began to shake. What she had come to see was simply not registering within the depths of her mind. Misato's head flooded with ideas, theories, memories and fears. The expression on her face began to reflect her uncertainty, eyes widening and her mouth opening, making her heavier breathing also more predominant.

"I assume from your reaction you've come to fathom exactly what's going on here" Ritsuko said, replying to Misato's reaction. "The most recent angel attack was the product of NERV's own doing".

"You mean what happened to Shinji was our doing?" Misato replied softly, as if already trying to swallow her words.

Ritsuko nodded in disdainful agreement.

Misato turned away from the tube and Docter Akagi, facing the generic entrance to the secluded room. She looked at the floor in contemplation. NERV, or whoever was controlling them was also in control of the remaining angels. They had caused Shinji to sustain heavy mental damage, regardless of whether or not he was able to recover or not. They had hidden it, obvious that they meant for no one to see through what they were doing. They had lied to everyone, and endangered all of mankind. Her decision was clear.

"Ritsuko, we can't allow this" She began, as if to never show signs of decadence. "We need to..."

But she was cut off as she noticed Akagi placing a finger on her lips, inciting silence. The two listened, and in due time, footsteps began to echo down along the obviously large hallway from beyond the intended entrance. Both knew the immediate attention the looming footsteps required, and returned to enter the vent system they had came in, returning it to its original state. On hands and knees they crawled, only to both have the self realization of how much noise traversing through maintenance systems caused, and halted, and turned all efforts into using any sort of recognition system to identify the person entering the chamber.

The electronic door serving as the entrance to the room opened, and the footsteps echoed from within. They stopped just inside as the door was closed behind, before continuing to the center. The sound of hydraulics and liquid flowing caused Misato to gasp, lucky that the obvious noise of one of the embryonic angels being filtered into another container muffled her voice. After another shift in hydraulics, the person took a deep breath, and left the same way it had came, following the same protocol, stopping while waiting for the door to close and lock, before walking back off down the hallway.

Ritsuko and Misato waited in silence, almost in tears, privy to exactly what is coming. The now looming angel attack was evident, but not inevitable. They both knew subtle action must be taken, and returned through to the maintenance shaft, allowing them to stand, and hurry back towards the elevators. Along the way, Misato had hit her arms and shoulders multiple times on protruding pipes and valves with haste, causing large blackened bruises to form. Though Ritsuko was leading the way, she still bore less injuries, evidence that this was not her first time returning.

"Watch out on your right" Ritsuko whispered, hoping to point out the edge of rusted metal on the side of the shaft.

But it was in vain, as Misato rushed passed, lacerating her already bruised arm on the metal shard. It bled profusely, having cut not only into the bruised tissue, but also damaging the surface veins on her upper arm. She gritted her teeth, and simply pressed on, not having enough room to apply pressure or bandage her latest wound. Blood dripped down her arm, and smeared along the sides of the shaft, the motion opening the wound, causing Misato to breath deeply, signs she was in pain. The cut was jagged and dirty, dead skin being slowly rubbed off by the side wall. She closed her eyes in pain with every contact, causing her to repeatedly hit her ankles on lower lying pipes, but the pain paled in comparison.

Returning to the elevator, Ritsuko worked her magic with her device, and they began their ascent. Noticing the wound, she tore her lab coat from the sleeve corner, and applied the make~shift bandage to Misato's still weeping arm. The location of the laceration made it hard to bandage, and probably caused more discomfort than not, but both knew of the medical benefit it provided.

"Have that checked out by the medical staff when you get the chance, it may not look like much, but it won't cause any harm" Ritsuko said to her companion, concern in her tone.

"I've suffered worse and survived, plus the less of NERV I see, the better" Misato replied, thankful for the motion, but honest in her reply.

Both already knew the elevator would take time, and they both took the liberty to rest their eyes for a moment.

When they returned to their senses, Misato checked her watch as the returned to Ritsuko's office. 4:02am, over an hour since she had been shown the belief breaking discovery.

"Ritsuko" Misato called, placing importance on her full attention.

She turned to face Misato.

"We'll discuss the data two days from now, until then, I have to supervise the Second and Third Child" Misato said, making her implications clear.

Ritsuko nodded, and then returned to her previous work, and replacing her handgun in a locked draw.

Misato returned home, tired and sore. Though her bedroom was the most appealing location, her need for a bath came first. After dumping her work bag near the living area, she began taking her clothes off as she started walking towards the shower, ignoring penpen as he waltzed around the house. Due to her work schedule , and his sleeping schedule, none of the household members had seen much of him.

As the water began running, she checked over her bruises and wound. Her right ankle was bruised badly, as was most of her right arm, but the purple color had subsided due to the open bleeding allowed by her laceration. Taking off the bandage, she began to see just how dirty and serious the cut had become. The bleeding had stopped, and the wound had coagulated body fluid, dirt and blood throughout the tissue. Misato took a pin to the large swollen bruise on her ankle, turning away as she plunged it into the flesh. At first, blood spurted out of the heavily pressured bruise, but slowed quickly, and began seeping out, reducing the swelling. After slipping into the water, she took to washing her cut. She had to wash out all the dirt to ensure it was not going to get infected, but the task proved difficult. Rubbing the wound under the water, whilst biting her towel, the pain still brought her to tears. The water around her arm slowly turned a light murky brown from the dirt on her arm and in her wound. Her efforts caused the wound to reopen what had began to close deeper, and the bleeding restarted, shading the water to a light pink by the time she was satisfied with her efforts, adding to the already light brown water.

After getting out, and applying another bandage to her arm, and ice to her ankle, she slumped onto her bed, and removed her alarm clock from the power socket.

"There's no school today" Misato uttered to herself, before the exhaustion brought her into a deep sleep.

Shinji rolled over to see his clock read 9:39, frantically got up and rushed over to get clothed ready for school.

"Asuka wake up! We're already late!" he yelled.,noticing she had not awoken from the commotion already.

Asuka stirred before waking, and simply stared at her fellow pilot as he rushed around the room preparing for school. She looked around for the clock, read the time, and then returned to her horizontal position on Shinji's bed.

"Misato came in earlier and said there's going to be an angel today" She mumbled, obviously still weary from the premature wake. They had been up late into the night, and she wondered where Shinji found the energy to even care about school.

Shinji slowed, ignoring his currently empty stomach, and stood wondering why Misato would tell them that. How did she know there was going to be an angel attack? Was there one found while she was at work that night? Why hadn't something been done already?

"Where's Misato?" He asked, turning to Asuka, who had already returned to at least attempting to sleep.

"She's in her room, probably sleeping" She replied, annunciating the final word in the hopes he would leave her to her slumber. Though, it was ignored as she heard Shinji run around the house to Misato's room.

Shinji, slowly opened the door to Misato's room, and immediately noticed the bandage on her right shoulder. It was red at the center, implying that whatever had been covered had still bled. She rolled over, hearing him trample on the papers and document folders she had neglected to clean up.

"What?" She said sternly, turning to face Shinji, eyes half open. The weight shift caused the skin on her shoulder to tighten, and she hissed at the pain.

"Whats going on?" He yelled, incurring an "idiot" from Asuka, heard from the next room.

Misato held one finger over her lips, and looked over towards the window. Shinji turned to look. There was a man standing on a building a few complexes over, dressed in a suit, and it became obvious to him that NERV, or someone had been observing them. He relaxed, and turned back to his guardian.

"I'll tell you later, where we can be alone" She whispered, her tone only adding to the importance of not being heard by whoever was watching.

Shinji was now aware of the magnitude of the situation, and turned to exit. Before he did, Misato caught his attention.

"Nice work, by the way" She said, before winking at him, and returning the blanket to cover her face.

Shinji frowned. Misato had walked in on Asuka and him in the same bed, and having her knowing wasn't going to help the daily life. Not only that, but her knowing would mean Ritsuko would find out soon as well, and no doubt there will be some lecture on how this will affect their piloting. Ritsuko knowing will mean his father will know soon enough as well, and that was an event he doubt he would ever be ready for. He exited the room, and figured as long as he was up, breakfast would be expected from him the second either of his female housemates came out. It had been a long time since he had cooked breakfast for all three of them, and there was an abundance of ingredients untouched, implying that Misato had been cooking for the weeks he was gone.

'Both will be relieved Misato isn't cooking for once' Shinji thought to himself, as he began.

By this point in his life, this sort of morning meal had become second nature, with his mind wondering as he prepared. Today there was going to be an angel attack. Nothing he wouldn't be able to handle; his skills in the EVA were more than enough to take care of anything the angels threw at him, and with the Unit~01's berserk taking care of everything else, there really wasn't anything to be worried about. Not only that, but Asuka was more than a capable pilot. Rei too, but her passive ability in battle didn't help too much when they pressed the offensive.

But a thought crossed over what he had lost piloting the EVA. Toji was gone, never to come back. Rationality edged through though, causing him to see the lighter side.

"I've saved everyone, more than once" He said to himself, reassuring himself that his work was for a good cause.

"Not alone, so don't get cocky" Came a voice from behind him.

Asuka had arisen, probably due to his talk with Misato, or even the smell of his cooking, which was nearing being finished.

"You're right, I'm sorry. We've saved everyone." Shinji admit as he turned to face her, cooking utensils still in hand.

His response pleased her, not only that he gave in, but also that there was no mention of Rei. 'Wondergirl no more' she thought to herself, smiling as she slipped a finger into Shinji's cooking to taste his latest concoction. At least he hadn't lost his ability to be a housemaid while he was unconscious. Both turned to see Misato crawling from her room, the aroma drawing her from recluse.

Instead of speaking, Misato simply pointed her index finger towards he open mouth and uttered an 'ahhh'. Obviously implying she was to be fed, Shinji waitered the meal to the table, along with chopsticks and a fork for Asuka. The two pilots took their seat as Misato climbed up. A wasted effort. At that moment, the apartment phone line, their cell phones and Misato's pager all began to ring and chime simultaneously. They looked between each other. It was a NERV emergency. Possibly an angel attack, exactly as Misato had predicted.

They all knew the drill, as they all stood up from the table, grabbing their coats and NERV personnel security access cards. Misato grabbed her car keys.

'I'm tired' She thought to justify herself as she tossed the keys to Shinji. Though he caught them, the thought of what Misato had exclaimed should he drive again rung through his head, and he attentively stared at her, waiting for her approval. Instead of speaking, Misato gestured she was tired with her two hands together under her ear like a pillow, and then pointed out the door. Catching the drift, Shinji lead the way down the stairs; waiting for the elevator was too time consuming. He was revitalized. Recent events had taken Shinji to a new high, ready, and almost welcoming whatever challenge the angel could throw at him. He flung himself around the staircase corners, and skipped entire flights; jumping down them vigorously.

"My god, what did you do to him?" Misato asked in awe, turning to Asuka, whom was briskly walking alongside her.

Asuka smirked.

"Something you could never do to Kaji, obviously" She replied, barely able to keep in her laughter. Kaji was no one to her anymore. He had been gone far too long, and had been more than sufficiently replaced.

Misato frowned. She took the call on the chin, not only because she was far too exhausted to think of a comeback, but also because Asuka was partially right.

When the two females had come to the bottom of the stairs, Shinji was in the drivers seat waiting for them at the car park entrance.

"He's come a long way" Misato said as she stood for a moment. She was truly amazed at what had emerged from the third child recently.

"My man" Asuka snapped as she flicked Misato on her forehead. Incurring her guardians wrath, they ran off to the car, and sped off towards the Geofront escalator.


	9. Chapter Nine, Emergence

Here, I present to you probably the most fast paced chapter in my little Fic. But it is also the most crucial in setting the scene for the up coming chapters.

My proof reader gave criticism that it was a cheap way to go about it, but I stand adamant in my reasoning that it was a suitable way to justify the sheer power of the Evas.

Shout outs to my long time readers, and espcially starburst98, whom showed me the interest in the piece I needed to keep going, and also The Immortal Firo and dcarnoc77, whom favored my Fic on my birthday =D

Without any further adieu...

Emergence – 9

"What's the situation?" Misato called as she entered the command post, pulling on her red jacket, something that had gradually become so iconic of her.

But no response came immediately. Misato looked around, to see all of the employees eyes completely fixated on their respective monitors, analyzing madly. A focus she had never encountered before. Had the angel attacks really become so much a 'routine'?

No, this would never become routine, there was something far more captivating about this attack.

"Two angels, classified as the 15th and 16th angels, have emerged simultaneously, both from the Old Tokyo lake" Fuyutsuki replied finally to her question. Despite this immense occurrence, he was still as composed as ever, posture straight, and arms at his back, at the right hand side of Genduo Ikari.

'Two angels? They almost seem like they were prepared' Misato thought to herself. It had become painfully obvious that NERV was pulling the strings of fate, and Genduo was the puppet master. His intentions seem to be to either push the pilots to their limit, or to betray mankind and overpower them with two angels at once.

Either way, Misato's job didn't change.

"Prepare all 3 EVAs for combat, have Unit~00 equipped with the JSSDF Positron Sniper Rifle and station all Units on the edge of the bay!" Misato called out, and thankfully all personnel reacted, instead of completely ignoring her like before.

"What do we know about each angel so far?" She continued, facing Makoto.

Makoto Hyuga looked over his monitor, before turning back to Misato.

"Both seem to be able to maneuver exceptionally well in an aquatic environment, so we could assume that neither are able to move well on land, similar to the sixth angel that attacked whilst transporting Unit~02." He replied before return to staring his screen.

"Her command skills should be recognized, commander" Fuyutsuki stated quietly.

"In the current situation, yes, but this does not help our cause" Genduo replied, hands folded, eyes looking over the main 3 layer holographic monitor. "Have her promoted to Lieutenant Colonel should the proceedings follow favorably".

Fuyutsuki's eyes fixated on Genduo for a moment, surprised at his most recent comment. Misato being promoted again would allow her to outrank himself, but also have her word rival that of Genduo's. Her rank would also now carry over the JSSDF, effectively making her the most influential women in existence.

"Don't you think that would be a little drastic?" Fuyutsuki questioned, taking his eyes off Genduo, composing himself, and then returning his thoughts to the angels.

Genduo didn't reply.

"What's the current status on the pilots?" Misato asked, taking up stance beside Maya.

"Asuka and Rei are ready to be launched, and Shinji is going through a quick harmonics test"

"A harmonics test? Why now?" Misato responded. Though it had been a while since any of the pilots had their synchronization ratios tested, this was certainly not the time to be altering combat settings.

"He was showing abnormally high synchronization ratios on the launch deck. We assumed this was a display error, so I decided to take all precautions and we began to recalibrate the neural connections" Maya responded, feeling justified in her decisions.

"What was her preliminary synchronization rate?"

Ritsuko walked in from behind Misato, and onto the 2nd layer of the command post. A prevalent smile was spread across her face, and her stance was strong.

"Shinji was, and still is synchronizing with Unit~02 at above 116%, and we are going to launch with his Entry plug at the lowest possible depth; just above the T3 cervical vertebrae" Ritsuko stated, as if she had suddenly become the highest ranking officer within the complex.

"116%? How is that even possible, is she going berserk already?" Aoba questioned, swinging around his seat.

"We aren't sure, but he is both mentally and physically stable inside the cockpit" Ritsuko reassured, coming to stand beside Misato. "One theory is a meta~biological take on Plato's three soul philosophy, although..."

"Are we ready?" Genduo interrupted. After receiving a nod and "sir!" from both Maya and Makoto;

"Launch the Evangelions"

All three EVAs shot up the launch shafts, making drastic angle changes toward the closest launch pad to Old Tokyo.

Shinji sat in his entry plug, head high, clutching his triggers. The adrenaline rushing through his veins was nothing compared to his new, empowered vigor. Every part of him felt stronger, every one of his senses felt more tuned than ever. Sensations like he had never felt before inside the EVA had suddenly become real. He could feel the safety lock holding him back, the weight of the EVA's armor and the rush of wind whispering past as he shot up the launch shaft.

"Shinji, how do you feel?" Misato asked, appearing on Shinji's heads up display.

Shinji smiled.

"Misato I feel amazing! Did you do something to the EVA?" He asked, wanting nothing more than to escape from the shaft.

"No, it's all you" She replied, but her tone brought her concern to the surface. "But we weren't sure whether it was an error, so we placed Unit~01 in a launch shaft that lead to the surface faster, so you could have time to get a feel for it."

Shinji nodded, and Misato's image disappeared from his HUD. He felt his body jerk as Unit~01 was shot up through the shaft exit, and released from the final safety lock bolts.

"What do you want me do do Misato?"

He waited, only a few seconds, but for what seemed like an hour.

"Shinji! We have a problem!" Came Misato's voice, but no image on his display.

"Asuka's launch shaft exit and magnetic breaks are malfunctioning!" Maya screamed out, turning to Misato slightly. "Unit~02's spinal column will shatter from the impact!"

"How much time do we have until then?" Misato called out, to which Makoto quickly looked over his monitor.

"Shes got 0:48 seconds until the impact!"

"Argghh... Fuck!" Misato yelled at herself. "Asuka, you need to slow down your ascent in any way possible or you are going to crash into the shaft exit!"

0:43 seconds remaining.

"I can't! The shaft is too wide!" Asuka screamed out, her terror prominent in her tone. "I can't do anything!"

Asuka curled up inside the entry plug. She had no idea what was going to happen. How thick was the shaft exit? What would happen to her EVA? What would happen to Mama? Would she die? Will she be safe in the entry plug? Will she die from the impact?

Malicious images swept through Asuka's mind. She pictured her limp body slumping to the floor, her skull crushed, her spine shattered. She could hear her bones breaking, and Mama's whispers fading. Was she really going to be done in by something so medial? Her breathing intensified as she buried her head is her hands, her tears swallowed up by the blood LCL encompassing all space in her metal tomb.

"NO! I can't die! I'm an elite!" Asuka screamed out to herself, her voice echoing in Central Dogma, and through Rei's and Shinji's cockpit.

0:37 seconds remaining.

"What's wrong with Miss Sohryu?" Rei asked through the visual intercom, appearing on the command post main screen.

Her question licked at Misato's breaking point like a flame.

"She's going to crash into the shaft exit" Misato replied, her voice soft, and tone dull.

Misato's hope was waining, and her anger was filling the void as she picked up her chair and flung in against the near platform wall, breaking into multiple pieces. A shard of plastic broken off the base of the chain flew up, and caught her just above her left eye. Her vision blurred slightly as a small stream of blood flowed into her eye.

"What?" Maya screamed in amazement of an event occurring on her monitor. "Shinji's eternal power supply has been cut!"

Misato turned her head to the side, leaving her ear for the First Lieutenant to scream at.

"He's running off towards the 17th shaft exit, the cable had reached is maximum length!" Aoba exclaimed, loud only as to announce it to his still stable superiors.

0:26 seconds remaining.

Genduo sat up in his chair as Fuyutsuki leaned over, bringing them both eye level.

"He intends to prevent Unit~02's imminent fate" Fuyutsuki stated. "Do you think it is possible for him to travel that far?"

Genduo Ikari let a feint smile appear across his face.

"An EVA with unlimited power is a God"

At his reply, it became painfully clear to Fuyutsuki what had been emerging. Genduo had caused Asuka's shaft mechanism to malfunction, with the only hopes to further his 'Berserker Complex'.

0:19 seconds remaining.

"How far away is he?" Misato asked, her voice still soft.

"Still just over 10 kilometers away" Hyuga replied, matching her tone and despair.

Asuka brought her hands out from her face, and on top of her head. She knew it could never help her, but her fear was compelling. Running her hands through her hair, she felt the still tender bruise where she had threw herself at the NERV private ward wall, a wound only Shinji did notice. Rei simply sat in her entry plug, face down, fully aware of the futility of any action she could take.

Unit~01 was sprinting off towards the lake bay of Old Tokyo, desolating the landscape in his path. It's massive greaves leveled the old ruins on the far outskirts of New Tokyo, not stopping in the adversity of buildings still standing, but rather crashing through them shoulder first. The metal and concrete were nothing to the work of God that it bore witness to. Shinji was determined like no man. Like an apex beast before it's prey, nothing could stop his wake or differ his course. He said nothing and thought of nothing else. His eyes were void of the natural impulse to blink. Massive shock waves burst out from Unit~01, condensing water vapor, and spreading massive clouds of dust on his trail.

Just over a rise, the word 'Emergency' and the yellow bands marking the Launch Shaft exit became visible. With his new found senses, Shinji could hear the roar of Asuka's vassal in the shaft, and his eyes became fixated on the barrier. Still so far away.

The Moon passed in front of the Sun at that very moment.

Unit~01's eyes gleamed as all light seemed to be left behind.

"Unit~01 has sprouted wings! It's just like the 14th Angel fight!" Aoba yelled out, more in complete awe and amazement than the purpose to inform. "Is he going Berserk?"

Maya scanned her monitor and her main screen.

"Shinji is still conscious, but his sync ratio is pushing 130%!" She replied with the same tone. "What? I don't know whats going on..."

Misato's mood changed. Her grief was withering away as she listened to what her subordinates exchanged. Hope was slowly returning.

"How fast is Unit~01 traveling?" She asked, her usual tone re~emerging.

"We can't tell, we've lost track of our visual on Unit~01" Hyuga replied, not in spite, but almost as if it was common knowledge. He smiled. "Welcome back, Major".

Genduo stood up, and Fuyutsuki lunged towards the edge of the top level of the command post, both acting with such foreign behavior.

"An eclipse?" Fuyutsuki asked, bearing the question upon himself. "There wasn't another total eclipse predicted for another 20 years..."

0:03 seconds remain.

Asuka held herself tightly, knowing full well it was only seconds away. Insecurity and uncertainty.

"Mama" She uttered to herself as she closed her eyes. "Shinji..."

She heard a loud crash, and felt a heavy jerk. All intercom went silent. No light shone in from her display.

"It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, Mama"

"I missed you, I always did"

"I won't miss anyone else ever again"

Still silence.

"Shinji..."

Upon calling his name, an overwhelming white light shone in to Asuka's field of view.

"Angels?"

"No, it can't be"

She opened her eyes to look up. A white giant of light stood before her. Sound and realization began to return.

"Asuka!" A voice called.

She looked up. She saw her EVA's HUD, she saw Shinji's face amidst the beaming light.

"Shinji!" She cried out, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Above her, Unit~01 stood, bearing over a perfect octagon opening in the Launch Shaft exit doors. Every where else was covered by a blanket of darkness, leaving only the two Evangelions. Shinji invoked his will on the winged giant, tore apart the lock bolts holding Unit~02 in place, and pulled Asuka out of the Shaft. After helping her to her feet in Unit~02, no words were spoken between pilots. No incoming messages from Central Dogma rang inside the entry plugs.

Everything was still, every living entity seemed to be struck with awe of the sanctified being that had emerged from within the unforeseen darkness. All devoid of words at the sight of the angelic halo, glassy white wings and beam of light that extended to the heavens that had emerged from Unit~01.

Nothing remained of the twin angel threat but two completely in~tact cores, that had already begun sinking. No crucifix explosion had marked their death, and both cores still glowed a vivid read, blending well with the red body of water that was the Old Tokyo lake.

The path Unit~01 took left those watching at the command post speechless. The courageous ones would stutter in their attempts to explain it to themselves. It was one of destruction, following for miles, until that all ceased to be. Dense vegetation seem to have erupted from the location at which Unit~01 disappeared.

The three First Lieutenant simply stared at the main screen, that still flickered now no longer pertinent statistics. Those standing had all dropped to their knees, Misato, Ritsuko, Fuyutsuki and Genduo were no exception.

The first to regain his composure was Genduo Ikari, who returned to his feet, and readjusted his glasses.

"The Light of Dawn"

The twelve SEELE monoliths were silent as their respective puppet masters swallowed the information that Genduo had just recited for them. It was the longest time the black figures had ever been quiet during an interrogation.

"What of the 3rd and 2nd Children?" Came the voice from SEELE 1.

"Ikari Shinji and Sohryu Asuka Langley are both mentally and physically stable, and have re~began their day to day lives." Genduo replied, with no need to hide his hidden agenda. "They seen to have brushed it off as just an event the EVA's are capable of producing."

Again the monoliths were silent for a long period of time. Their plans had been shaken to their foundations.

"And you say the final angel has also degenerated?" SEELE 9 questioned, the only other to have a British accent.

"Yes, there seems to be no trace of any of the remaining angels, spare the inactive cores they left behind." Genduo again replied, this time with a grin on his face.

"This was out of your control Ikari, and will stay that way." Came the concluding words from SEELE 1. "It seems it is up to man to undo it's failures."


End file.
